If You
by YoullBeAvenged
Summary: "Trust can never be earned, but can only be given. If you have it, it can easily be lost," A woman who knew she was different than others has been swept away from a place she once called home. After being tortured relentlessly, can she place her trust in the right people or will she spiral into a pit of darkness?
1. Chapter 1

Days, weeks, maybe even months have passed. I lost track of time. These bright white walls housed me for who knows how long. I don't remember the last time I have been out. I don't remember the last time I've seen the sun.

Couple times each day, I would be prodded, tested on. I always wondered why me? Why do I have to go through this? Was it because of what I was able to do? I wasn't anyone of importance and yet they took me. Lifeless, that's how I felt. There was nothing I could do, but stare at these forsaken walls until I'm swept away into another room of torture.

The only time I heard others was when I was at another place. Two others were alongside me; going through the same torture. Sometimes, they would talk to me. I never saw them, only knew their names and voices. We would often talk through the thin walls. Even though they were thin, it was practically indestructible. It was comforting to know I'm not alone, but at the same time I felt sad. No one deserved to be put through this pain. They helped me, gave me hope. They told me once they have it under control, they would come for me. Then, I was swept away. I never felt so alone.

The door opened as a man in scrubs with a surgical mask and two burly men came in, closing in on me. I knew it was useless to fight back or scream. I've done it all and it just made the pain so much worse. I took comfort in silence, not letting them know how much it hurt. The burly men pulled me up and proceeded to drag me away. The first time I fought back earned me a good slap in the face. Each time I did, the pain grew worse. So, I stopped.

A needle pricked my neck as I succumbed into darkness.

"Preparations are done sir," a faraway voice said. I rapidly blink, trying to get used to the bright lights above me. My eyes shot open as I notice who was hovering above me. The doctor stood over me, a needle in his gloved hand. My fists tightened as I struggled to get out of the restraints. He quickly jabbed the needle in my neck and I felt the effects take over as my vision blurred. My struggling ceased.

"Good. We can commence the sequence," the doctor notified. "Start the process," I heard a faint buzzing sound near the side of my head. Fear pulsed through my veins as I tried to move. Tears poured out of my eyes. Where are they? They promised. My vision started to fade. The last thing I heard was gunshots and a faraway voice.

"Everything's going to be alright," a voice reassured me as the world faded into darkness.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello everyone!** **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for taking the time to check this story out.** **This is the first time I have written fanfiction!**

 **What will happen next? Will she be saved? Or is it another round of torture? All shall be revealed soon! Stay tuned!** **  
**

 **Also, let me know what you thought of this story so far. I'm looking forward to reading your comments.**

 **Disclaimer:  
** **I do not own any Marvel characters. However, I own my characters.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

A painfully, bright light greeted my eyes as they slowly open. I quickly shut them and whimpered. My limbs felt heavy, almost like lead. Slowly, I opened my eyes again. Eyes adjusting to the unfamiliar white room, I noticed I was hooked up to many machines. My eyes widen in horror. I pulled out all of the needles. The beep drones steadily since I pulled it out. I sharply inhaled from the pain, but I ignored it as I got off the bed. I felt my breathing pick up as I looked around. I held a hand up, but my gift still wouldn't work. Frustrated, I put my hand down.

I scurried out of the room. Scanning down the long corridor, it was empty. I silently walked through while looking around. Gray, steel doors line along both sides of the hallway. My ears perked up at the sound of running footsteps. My breath caught in my throat as I searched for somewhere to hide. Running to the nearest door, I threw myself in and quietly shut the door. I sighed in slight relief that I took refuge in a utility closet.

"All agents, we have a Code 10! I repeat, we have a code 10!" A voice spoke from the speakers. My heart started to speed up. More footsteps ran by the room I hid in. I held my breath and waited. Once the footsteps were farther away, I release the breath I was holding. I peeked out and saw that the coast was clear. Opening the door, I sprinted down the hall.

"Stop right there!" A voice called out. I glanced over my shoulder and saw about five men on my tail. 'Please, don't let them get me. Not again'.

Thoughts raced through my mind. I gasped and sharply turned left. I almost fell from the momentum. Catching myself before landing on my face, I kept running. My feet were starting to get sore, but the adrenaline kept me going.

The corridors seemed endless. I felt my energy draining, but I kept going. I skidded to a halt as more men came around the corner in front of me. I tried to find an outlet, but I was surrounded. I felt my breathing pick up and fear set in. Looking for an escape route, I found none. I exhaled and kept my face devoid of emotion.

A man dressed in all black attire and an eye patch stepped through the throng.

"Miss Lu, if you would please follow me. We have much to discuss," he stated with a firm tone. The men trained their guns at me. I had no choice. The men parted as I followed behind the man.

As we kept walking forward, I felt my hands shake. Clasping my hands together firmly, I let out a shaky sigh. We finally came to a stop in front of a steel door. It's not another lab test, right? The man went in when it slid open and gestured me to go in. I froze on the spot. He raised a brow. "Is there a problem?" I slowly walked in and stood in the middle of the office room. The door slid shut.

* * *

"Megan, please have a seat," The man with the eye patch gestured to a seat in front of his desk. I timidly sank into the chair. My heart pounded a mile a minute. I felt my hands shake slightly. My mind kept conjuring scenarios of what's going to happen to me. What if they were just like them? After what seemed like eternity, he sat down in his chair.

"I am Nicholas Fury. Director of Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division also known as SHIELD," Fury introduced. "For the past nine months, we have been looking for you. A couple of my best agents finally picked up a trace and saved you in the nick of time," he opened a manilla folder in front of him and held up a photo. My jaw clenched looking at that retched face. "You recognize this man, don't you?"

Tearing my eyes away from the photo, I looked at Fury. "His name is Baron Strucker. Strucker has been experimenting on others to create superhumans. He tried to extract your DNA and inject it into others," My eyes widened at that.

"No one else has survived these experiments," my breath got caught in my throat. How was I the only one to survive that? What about the other two? Was it because help arrived on time?

"Up to this day, we are still not a hundred percent sure if there are any other survivors. You were the only one in that facility," he trailed off before he placed a finger on his ear. "Agent Romanoff, I need you down at my office," he ordered. Strucker is on the loose. What if he finds me? What else would he have done if I was still trapped? Would I have died today if they didn't come?

"Miss Lu," a woman's voice broke through. I turned around, facing a red headed woman who I presume was Romanoff.

"I'd like to introduce you to Agent Romanoff. She was one of the people who aided your rescue from Strucker's lab," she bore a stoic expression, not revealing anything. Even though she has a tough exterior, I felt like I owe her for saving me. She nodded towards me in acknowledgment. "Romanoff will escort you and help you clean up until we get you situated. I will inform you when we have more information," he notified me before Natasha escorted me out.

"Come on. Let's get you back to the med bay. Don't want those wounds to get infected," she said, already heading out of the room. Arriving back, a nurse led me to a chair to treat my injuries. "I will leave you to get some clothes for you," she gave me a nod before walking off.

The nurse disinfected my wounds before leading me to the bathroom.

I sighed before opening the door. I quickly stripped out of the hospital gown and step in the shower. My eyes closed as a spray of warm water cascaded on me. I sighed as I tried to scrub away these last nine months down the drain. It sort of helped. My hand hovered over the left side of my hip. A long scar etched on to my body will forever remind me of the horrors.

My mind flitted back to when it all happened. I blinked back tears. There's no use in crying anymore.

Wrapping a towel around my body, I felt refreshed and somewhat rejuvenated.

Wiping the condensation off the mirror, I gasped as I stared straight ahead.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **And there is chapter two. We finally know her name! Also, we met with Fury and Natasha!** **Progress!**

 **What did you guys think? Like it? Hate it? Leave a review and let me know!**


	3. Chapter 3

I gaped at the person staring back at me. Eyes sunken in, cheeks hollow. ' Is this who I am? Is this what I look like? This isn't even me anymore.'

Gripping the towel tightly around me, I noticed I did not have any clothing. I opened the door ajar. Upon opening, the nurse wasn't there. I let out a sigh. Closing the door behind me, I started to check through the cabinets. All of them were locked.

Glancing at the bed, I noticed a small bowl on the tray. My stomach growled as I looked at the contents. It seemed to be some sort of broth. Picking it up, I sipped a bit. Although it wasn't much, this was better than nothing.

"Ah, there you are," Glancing behind, Miss Romanoff approached me with a bundle in her arms. I felt my cheeks flare up at my lack of dress. "I scrounged up some clothing for you. I don't think you would want to stay in that towel the whole time," she lightly joked, handing me the bundle. I smiled at the gesture. Placing the empty bowl on the tray, I received the bundle.

"Yes. Thank you. I don't think I would enjoy parading around in this," I lightly quipped, tugging the end of the towel.

"I'd imagine so. Once you get changed, Fury would like to speak with you," I nodded and went back in the room to change. Just simple jeans, a t shirt and a pair of sneakers. It's a bit big, but anything beats a hospital gown.

* * *

A few minutes later, we stopped in front of his door. She opened it and nodded for me to step inside.

"Miss Lu For the time being, you will be residing here until we find better accommodations. Romanoff will escort you to your temporary quarters," Fury informed. I nodded and heard the door open behind me. Turning, I followed after Miss Romanoff.

On the way to my room, she showed me around the place. The building was tremendous and packed with agents. A few agents stared as I trailed behind Miss Romanoff. I ignored them and attentively listened to what she told me.

"Is it always this busy?" I asked as I watched a couple agents run by us.

"It tends to be that way," she replied. We stopped in front of a steel door. "This is your temporary living quarters," she opened the door and flipped the light switch. "If you need anything, just ask around for me,"

"Thank you, Miss Romanoff. For everything," I smiled. Her lips twitched slightly before she nodded and left.

* * *

The next month flew by. The first week deemed exciting. Usually, strolling around the premises to familiarize myself took most of my time. I kept to myself or wrote in the journal I found in my room. It lifted some weight off my shoulders as I wrote what happened to me then and now.

Along the way, I grew closer to Natasha. Almost like friends. The first couple tries were difficult. I kept keeping my distance or took refuge in my quarters. She just kept pushing forward, which I was glad. Natasha was intelligent, caring, strong-minded, witty, and charismatic behind that hard exterior she has.

Also, she introduced me to some interesting individuals. I had inkling that she wanted me to have other acquaintances besides herself. Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, and Maria Hill are some other agents she introduced me to. I felt like a child when I first met them; wary and cautious. My expression was neutral upon the first couple meetings, but as the days went on, my facade faded. It was strange to interact with people again. The feeling felt almost foreign. She told me that whenever she was gone, I had some other companions that could help me.

Eating has been difficult. Not having a lot of substance while being held captive could do that to a person. One of the doctors told me to take it slow. Start off with liquids and slowly progress to solids. He also gave me some vitamins to help. Natasha would sit with me and make sure I eat. She would glower at me whenever I didn't want to or didn't have enough. It took some time to get use to eating. After a couple of hard stares and death threats, eating became a common occurrence. Now, I looked a bit healthier than before. No longer had my face looked gaunt or my body skeletal like. I almost looked like my old self. Almost.

Natasha showed me the training room. She must have known how tedious I felt to be stuck in the facility. That place was my go-to to pass time. Often, I'd watch her go up against Clint. Even though they were just training, it seemed like they were going in for the kill. It was intense.

They taught me some techniques on defense, along with different types of weaponry. Clint tried to show me how to use a bow, but it was proven difficult. My stance and how I held the bow always seemed a bit off. I remember seeing some throwing knives on a rack against the wall. Apparently, I have good accuracy. Natasha and Clint were surprised when the tip of the blade pierced right outside the center. Practicing with a gun happened to be facile, except the recoil on the bigger firearms.

A week of staying here, I felt a familiar buzz return to me. It was comforting to know that whatever chemical they used finally wore off.

I had psychic electrokinesis. Some would view it as freaky; I saw it as a gift. I can project a painful electric-like jolt into anyone with just one touch or I could channel it to run along my body. Depending on how much power I put into it, my target can feel the equivalent of a small static shock, all the way up to an overpowering and debilitating blast. Fury ruled to keep my ability a secret.

Everything was steadily going back to normal. The only problem was the nightmares.

* * *

I shot up with a gasp escaping my lips. My heart raced as I tried to calm down. 'It is okay, Megan. You're not there anymore. You are not strapped on to a medical table with a scalpel hovering over you. You are safe.' I wiped the tears from my eyes whilst gaining composure.

 _4:37 am_. I got up from my bed and changed. 'Maybe some practice will help,'

Gripping the knife, I threw one after another. Each pierced a vital part of the dummy's body. Sweat dripped down my face. Spinning, I threw the blade and watched as it pierced right on the center. Grasping the hilt of another blade, I felt a presence behind me. I turned and immediately came to a stop as a strong grip caught my arm. The blade was just centimeters from his eye.

"Woah there," a masculine voice said. "That could have seriously done some damage," He let go of my hand. My face flushed.

"Sorry, Clint," I apologized, placing the knife back down on the metal table. I wiped the sweat off my forehead and turned back to him.

"No harm done. Trouble sleeping?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer. Averting my gaze from him to the floor, I gave a slight nod. Hearing him sigh, he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Nice work," Glancing up in confusion, I realized that Clint was admiring my handiwork.

"Well, I did have a good teacher," I said with a small shrug. He had a goofy smile on his face. "Good thing Natasha was around," He whipped his head towards me and glared. I laughed at his expression and patted his arm. "I'm just kidding. Both of you are wonderful,"

"But, I'm better right? Right?" He asked, a hint of desperation in his voice. I laughed and plucked the knives off the tattered dummy.

"Now, we all know that I am a better teacher," I turned and saw a smirking Natasha.

"Sure, Nat," he sarcastically agreed. "But, let's remember who taught Megan how to throw knives,"

"What I remember is that she already knew how to do that," she countered, arms crossed.

"...Yeah... well, who taught her how to do that while moving?"

"You did, but you missed the first couple of times, so I took over," I started to laugh, remembering Clint running and throwing the knives. He either hit the wall or off center.

"You guys know there is only one way to settle this," I stated, stepping between them . They both turned towards me. "A rousing game of who can hit the bullseye," I gave them three knives each. "Whoever pierces the bullseye or close to it with three knives will be declared the better teacher," Natasha and Clint gave each other death glares. It was funny how competitive they are with each other.

"Ladies first," Clint gestured. Natasha kept her face neutral as she threw the knife. A dull thud sounded as it landed dead center. Then the last two went sailing, hitting the same spot as the first. She glanced back at him and smirked.

"Think you can top that?" Natasha asked, the smirk still in place. Clint scoffed.

"I could do this with my eyes closed," he threw back. Natasha crossed her arms and nodded for him to go. He threw each knife and all pierced the center of his target. I studied both targets. My brows rose as both of them hit the same spots.

"Well, it seems that both of you are great teachers!" I smiled. They both narrowed their eyes at me. I felt myself shrink back at the intensity of their stares.

"What? Megan, are you sure? I know I threw better than Nat!" Clint exclaimed in disbelief before studying both targets. They mirrored each other. "I want a rematch!" he swiveled around and pointed a finger at his opponent.

"Fine, the floor is yours," Nat stated, gesturing to the broken, beyond repair dummy. I sighed and sat on the floor as they both started again.

* * *

 **There is chapter three! A lot of things going on in this chapter. We have a glimpse of what Megan was capable of and her first month in S.H.I.E.L.D base! I had to speed things up a bit to get to the plot. It will take some time for a certain captain to show up.**

 **And thank you, xcapsiclex, for being my first reviewer. Also, to answer your question, I will update as often as I can. Maybe once a week at the latest.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think. I would love to interact with my readers.**

 **Till next time!**

 **\- YoullBeAvenged**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

 **I had to repost this chapter because of some errors I've noticed. Now, on with the story!**

* * *

A knock sounded through the steel door. Placing my pen down, I opened my door and was greeted by a familiar redhead.

"Hey, Megan, Fury wants you in his office," Natasha informed. I closed my journal before getting up. With a stretch, I made my way to the door.

"What is it now?" I asked, closing the door behind me and following after her. She just merely shrugged. "So, when are you and Clint going to South America?" She swiftly looked back with a raised brow.

"How do you know about that?" Then, realization set in and she shook her head. "Clint..," I nodded in confirmation. "That man can never keep his mouth shut," she muttered under her breath. "We're leaving tonight and won't be back for a month at the latest," my steps slowed. I guess she sensed that I wasn't behind her.

With that news, it was a bit unsettling. I was not as close to the others as I was with Natasha and Clint. It took some time, but I realized that these people could be trustworthy.

"That's a long time," I stated nonchalantly before catching up to her. She placed a hand on my shoulder when she saw the frown on my face.

"Don't worry. It's just a quick infiltration among some other things. We'll be back before you know it. Besides, you got Hill, Coulson, and Fury to entertain you," she pacified. I nodded and gave her a small smile.

"Do you think Fury would offer to be a target dummy for me? You and Clint kind of destroyed the last one,"

* * *

Arriving at Fury's office, she opened the door for me.

"Ah, Lu, Have a seat," I sank on to the leather chair and waited for him to continue. "I would like to offer you a position of being a S.H.I.E.L.D agent," Fury stated, getting to the point straight away. My eyes widened at the offer. "Agents Barton and Romanoff have been keeping tabs on you," he revealed before opening a manila folder. "It says here that you have excellent precision, especially with knives. Your hand to hand combat has increased significantly. With some extra training in some other fields, you would certainly make the cut," I furrowed my brow at his last statement.

"Are you sure you're not asking me because of what I'm capable of doing, right?" I bluntly asked, staring straight into his eye. He raised a brow before chuckling.

"It could come in handy if needed,"

Me? As an agent for a super-secret agency? I already feel overwhelmed from this news.

"Can I think about it?" I asked. He studied me for a moment before nodding.

"When you make up your mind, report back to me," he placed my file back in the cabinet. "Also, we have your living quarters situated. Coulson will be your escort to the premises," Just as he finished, the door opened and Coulson strolled in.

"Thank you for informing me of this news, Director," he nodded and I followed Coulson out. I let a breath out that I haven't realized I had been holding.

"So, I hear that Fury offered you a position," Coulson stated.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure. I mean me? As a S.H.I.E.L.D agent? That's something I haven't considered,"

"Well, the job's good, pays well, and just once in a while you risk your life," he informed me. I gave him a deadpanned look at the last part of his statement.

"That's what I'm worried about," I muttered.

"Don't worry. Whether you choose to become an agent or not, you have some friends that will help you," I smiled at his words.

"You're the second person today that told me that. Thank you, Phil," he smiled back at me.

* * *

"Well, this is it," Phil unlocked the door for me and flipped the light switch. The apartment illuminated as I stepped through the door. It was a spacious space, a bit too much for one person. The apartment was fully furnished and painted in modern black and white paint with a touch of pink. I raised a brow back at Phil. He just shrugged his shoulders with a small smile. "I might have helped with the interior decorating," he meekly admitted.

"Thanks, Phil. It's like you know me," I told him, walking around the apartment. "Is this like an apartment complex for S.H.I.E.L.D agents?" Phil laughed and shook his head.

"Nope. Just a regular one. If we were all grouped in the same building that would lead to some bad news" I nodded, still glancing around. "Oh! I almost forgot. Fury wanted me to give you a cell phone in case of emergencies and a credit card to help start you off," he handed me the items.

I looked at them before placing it on the coffee table. His phone rang and excused himself to another room. I looked out the window. The street was jammed with cars, the sound of a horn and the occasional yell could be heard.

This is it. I can actually see the outside world. No longer will I be in a cage. It feels so strange seeing all this after a year. I sighed and heard Phil's footsteps behind me.

"I will see you later, Megan. There is an incident back at base," he informed as he started to leave.

"Phil," I called. "If I say no to the job position, what will happen? Will I not be able to see you guys anymore?" I asked him, fearing the worst.

He placed his hand on my shoulder. I flinched slightly before facing him. Since I didn't spend as much time with him as I did with Nat and Clint, I still wasn't fully comfortable with Phil. He gave me an apologetic look, sliding his hand off my shoulder.

"Whether you say yes or no, we will always be with you. No matter what. You're family now," I smiled, my worries melting away.

"Thank you for everything," he nodded with a small reassuring smile. "Now, go solve that crisis," I waved him off. With another nod, Phil handed me the key and left.

Locking the door behind me, I started to explore the rest of my apartment. Everything was fully equipped. Kitchen was completed with the exception of food.

Grocery shopping... Got to start getting used to all of this, I thought as I closed the fridge door.

Walking to the other side of the apartment, I twisted the knob. The bedroom lied behind the door. A nice queen sized bed rested against the opposite wall with a bedside table and dresser. Scurrying to the bed, I hopped on and fell on my back. Closing my eyes in satisfaction, I already know this bed beats the one from S.H.I.E.L.D. I sighed and rolled around, relishing the comfort from the sheets.

Another door led to the bathroom which contained no toiletries. Guess I have to get those as well.

I heard a ringing from the living room. Leaving the bedroom, I snatched the phone off the coffee table.

"Hello?"

"I see that Phil gave you the phone," Natasha stated.

"He did before he left fifteen minutes ago. Something about a crisis," I told her, settling on the sofa.

"I heard about that. That man is going to swoon when he sees about it," I felt curiosity build up.

"Swoon? About what?"

"Yeah. I would tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," I could practically see the smirk on her face from the other line. I rolled my eyes at her comment.

"Fine. Don't tell me. Meanie," I murmured under my breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all," I quickly piped. "So, was there any reason for calling? Besides, testing whether I'd answer the phone or not,"

"Well, I got some time to kill before Clint and I get sent off. Need any help moving in?"

"I don't exactly have anything to move in, but you can help me food shop if you want,"

"I'll be there in five," she answered before hanging up.

"This must be a huge transition for you," Natasha quipped, placing the eggs in the cart. I turned and raised a brow.

"Transition?" She nodded.

"You are moving on your own. You're a big girl now," she shook my shoulder while saying that with a smile. I rolled my eyes and chuckled.

"It's not my first time being on my own," I said, my mind drifting. Feeling Natasha's stare bore on me, I shook my head before pushing the cart down the aisle. "Besides, I've been a "big girl" for a while now," I finished, grabbing the milk from the refrigerated section.

"What do you mea-" I slammed the door shut before facing her.

"You know very well what I mean, Nat," I sharply cut her off, which startled her slightly. "You should know. You've read all about it,"

Immediately, I felt guilty for taking out on her. I sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just..," I shook my head, tears welling up. Running a hand through my hair, I continued down the aisle.

"I'm sorry, Megan. I didn't mean to pry," I just nodded before continuing on.

There's no such thing as secrets anymore.

* * *

 **And there is chapter four! How was it? I hope you all enjoyed it!**

 **A couple things happened in this chapter. First, Megan gets offered a position at S.H.I.E.L.D and then ends with a bit of tension between her and Natasha. Will she start to regret trusting Natasha? We'll find out soon enough.**

 **Also, I would like to thank _darkpoisonivy_ and _Alibird1_. Your reviews made my day when I read them. I am glad you are both enjoying it! I like to think that Natasha and Clint are like siblings with those random banters and challenges. **

**Till next time!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	5. Chapter 5

It's strange living alone. Everything was so quiet. No hurried footsteps in the hall. No equipment being carted off to a different location. No one knocked on the door to wake me up. Just utter silence.

My eyes shot open. I exhaled, trying to rid of the visions that plagued me.

First night in my apartment and I'm already having nightmares. Lovely.

I wiped my damp face and leaned forward. Glancing to my side, it was still the early hours in the morning. Well before dawn.

Sitting up, I grabbed my phone off the bedside table. I contemplated. Should I call anyone? I dropped the phone beside me. It would be best not to bother anyone at this ungodly hour.

No one would answer anyway. Phil and Maria are dealing with a crisis. Natasha and Clint are on their way to South America. My mind went back to yesterday. The rest of the shopping trip was awkward due to my sudden outburst. And now, I won't be able to have any contact with her for a month.

What if something happens? I willed the scenarios away from my thoughts. I shouldn't think of such things. They are experts on what they do. They'll be fine… I hope.

Grabbing my phone again, I clicked on the Internet browser. I might as well look for a job while I can.

Even though Fury offered me one, I felt unprepared for a life like that. The positive things that Phil told me were great, but I just don't think I am willing to risk my life. I already went through something like that; I don't want to do it again anytime soon.

My eyes scanned the endless job openings. It contained listings of fast food joints, retail sales, and the like. I sighed and shut it off. I should just search around for something in the morning. I fell back against my sheets and tried to get some extra sleep.

* * *

Last night proved to be yet another restless night. The sun finally rose, revealing another new day. Getting up, I prepared for the day.

The sun peeked out through the clouds. It felt warm and inviting as I strolled along the busy streets.

The morning was bustling: people having their morning coffee to refresh themselves before a long day at work, others shuffled to the subway station through the crowd, and then there was me. Walking with a slight skip in my step, the feeling of some normalcy and familiarity felt nice. It could do without the slight bumps into others, but I felt like nothing today could bring me down.

I looked down at the newspaper and started my quest. I only circled the ones that were walking distance from my apartment. Only five job openings out of the so many I scanned though.

Walking through the first one, it was a restaurant. It was a bit higher up than I expected, but a job is a job. Seeing the host, I made my way towards him.

"Hello, I am here seeking employment at this establishment," I said with a smile. He raised a brow at me, giving me a once over.

"I am sorry, but the position is already filled," he stated before walking away. My brows narrowed at his retreating form. How rude. A simple no would have sufficed.

Crossing that off the list, I headed to the next place. Good thing it was just across the street from the restaurant. A little bell chimed as I entered inside the shop. The bookstore was empty. It was still early in the morning so slow business was understandable. I saw an older man at the cash register look up and greet me with a smile.

"Hello sir! I was just wondering if the job position was still available," I stated, returning the smile. His smile dropped and shook his head.

"Sorry, miss. The position was filled yesterday," he apologized.

"It's okay. Thank you," I left the store with a sigh and glanced down at the paper in my hands. Only three places left. Hopefully something will turn up.

* * *

Shutting the door behind me, I groaned at the unsuccessful feeling I felt after a long day. I slipped off my shoes and immediately went to the fridge to settle the rumbling in my stomach.

It was past three in the afternoon after being turned down by all of the job offerings. It was either that somebody already snagged it or, similar to the first time, I just didn't fit the cut.

Slicing some vegetables, I munched on some carrots. In mid-bite, my phone started to buzz. Looking at the caller ID, it was Phil. I placed the ingredients in the heated pan before grabbing my phone.

"Hey, Phil! How's that crisis going?" I asked while sautéing the shrimp and vegetables.

"Hi, Megan," greeted Phil, who sounded a bit more chipper than usual. "It's going pretty well. Just got to wait around for a while," I raised a brow at his giddy tone.

"You sound excited. Wanna tell lil old me what it is?"

He chuckled, "Sorry. Sadly, it's confidential. If it wasn't confidential, which it is, I would be standing on the highest mountain top and singing in joy," I snorted at his little scenario.

"Why don't you yodel it now? I don't mind a bit of music while having dinner,"

"Maybe when you accept Fury's offer, I will give you the details," he tried to bribe.

"Oh come on. Just a tiny snippet? I'll give you some shrimp stir fry," I bargained.

"Maybe one day I'll tell you. Like when you accept the job offer," I groaned in defeat. Plating the food, I placed the pan in the sink and sat down at the table.

"Speaking of jobs, I had a hard day looking for one today. Did Fury secretly hack into my browsing history, call the places I checked out ahead of time, and told them to deny my application?" I asked him with a joking tone. His laughter sounded through the speaker.

"I don't think Director Fury would go that far," he answered. "Besides, maybe it's an indicator that you should be an agent. Come to the dark side," his voice deepened at the last bit. I rolled my eyes and laughed.

"Okay, Darth Sidious," I sarcastically said. I took a bite of my food before continuing. "Phil, I'm just not ready for something like that yet. I just want to have a bit of normalcy before jumping off into the deep end."

"There is no such thing as normalcy when you are associated with us,"

"True, but I just..," I sighed. "I just want to experience something not stress inducing for a while. I had a tough past year and I want to get my mind off of it,"

It went quiet after my statement. I played with my food for a bit, not really up for talking. Picking up my plate, I put the rest of the food into some Tupperware and placed it in the fridge.

"I know, Megan. I can't imagine what you have been through," my eyes watered a bit, the past year playing through my mind. I sniffled slightly.

"Yeah? Well, not a lot of people can say they have," I bitterly said.

"There is one person who is looking for an assistant," he spoke. My ears perked up at his words.

"An assistant job?" I repeated questioningly. My voice cracked slightly before I cleared my throat.

"Interested in being an assistant at Stark Industries?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Trouble sleeping and job hunting was a complete bust? Phil Coulson to the rescue! This guy could seriously be a superhero!  
**

 **Do you think Megan will take up on that offer? We will see next time!**

 **I was thinking of taking this story in Iron Man 2 and all the way to Age of Ultron. Maybe throw in some more adventures? What do you guys think?**

 **I just want to thank all everyone for taking time out of their day to read this. Did you like it? Hate it? Drop a review and tell me what you think! I'd love to read what you all think of this story.**

 **If I get at least 15 reviews, I will upload the next part of the story on Wednesday (:**

 **If not, I will see all of you lovely people on Friday!**

 **Till then!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	6. Chapter 6

Here I am. A month later for an interview with Pepper Potts, I stood in a ruffled ivory blouse underneath a black draped blazer, a black, knee length pencil skirt and some black pumps. Clutching the handle of my briefcase tightly, I let out a shaky breath before checking my reflection on one of the building's windows. Checking to make sure no loose hairs fell out of the bun, I was good to go.

Smoothing down my skirt one last time, I strode through the doors with confidence and headed to the front desk. A woman sat, typing away on the computer.

I approached with a smile, "Good morning. I am here to see Pepper Potts at 11:00." She looked up.

"Name please," she asked.

"Megan Lu," she picked up the phone and proceeded to call.

"Miss Potts, your eleven o'clock is here," she hung up before handing me a visitor's pass. "Go to the elevators, take it to the top floor and a seating area will be straight ahead from the elevator. Miss Potts will greet you when she is ready," she answered before turning back to the computer.

"Thank you," I briskly walked towards the elevators and hit the up button. It dinged open as I pushed for the top floor. My heart was beating a samba. Closing my eyes, I tried to stay calm.

You got this, Megan. Don't over think things, speak when spoken to, answer questions honestly and politely, smile, and breathe.

I exhaled as the elevator doors slid open. Striding out, I took a seat in the waiting area. I placed my briefcase on the side of my chair and waited. My foot tapped against the floor. Crossing my legs, the movement ceased.

"You must be Miss Lu," my head shot up at the sudden voice. A tall, strawberry blonde person stood in front of me. I nodded with a smile before standing. "I am Pepper Potts,"

"It is delightful to meet you, Ms. Potts," I shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you as well, Megan. Shall we?" Picking up my briefcase, I followed after her.

"You have an impressive resume," Ms. Potts complimented while reviewing my resume.

"Thank you, Miss Potts," I responded with a smile.

"You can speak Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean?"

"Yes. Currently, I am learning how to speak Russian,"

'Courtesy of Natasha,' I thought. She nodded before placing the paper down. Her gaze zeroed in on me as she folded her hands across her lap.

"Why do you want to work here?" She asked. Great. The dreaded interview questions..

"Based on my research of Stark Industries, I know that people who work here are the best in their field – knowledgeable, committed, respected – and that's an environment where I think I can grow, thrive, and make a contribution," I answered. She nodded before standing.

"All right, I think that this concludes the interview. I will let you know about the position," I stood as well, briefcase in hand and shook her hand again.

"Thank you for your time, Ms. Potts," she smiled and escorted me out of the office.

* * *

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" I asked. I felt worry run through me when I heard yelling in the background.

"Just cart it into the other room!" Phil ordered. "Not at all. It's just a couple of issues happening at the moment. Nothing I can't handle it. How did that interview go?"

I sighed, "A bit scary, but I kept myself composed and answered every question thrown at me. Overall, I think it went pretty well."

"That's good," a crash was heard. Phil sighed. "I have to call you back later. Some equipment just... Talk to you later, Megan," the call immediately ended. Slipping my phone in my briefcase, I headed home.

* * *

The next few days, I finally got the call back. To put it lightly, I was ecstatic. I was officially Pepper Potts assistant. I have a job. Is it weird that I'm excited? I bet it is. To most it would be, but to me, it was a step towards the life I had before all the madness. The bit of normalcy felt nice.

Dressed in a white wool and silk blend pencil dress, topped with a dark blue cuffed blazer and nude pumps, I was ready for my first day of work.

Walking through the doors with a cup of Starbucks coffee at hand, I saw Rita typing away on the computer.

"Good morning, Rita," I greeted. She glanced up and nodded in acknowledgment before continuing the previous activity. Hitting the up button, it slid open and I pressed for the top floor.

Knocking on the office door, I waited for a sign that I could come in.

"Come in," Opening the door, I greeted Ms. Potts with a smile.

"Good morning, Ms. Potts. I brought you your coffee," I placed the coffee on her desk and took a step back.

"Thank you, Megan," she took a sip before getting down to business. "I need you to sort out this paperwork," I nodded before taking the files. "Also, at 3 I have a meeting with a client. Please notify me just in case,"

"Will that be all, Ms. Potts?" She nodded.

"Yes, that will be all. Thank you," I shut the door and placed the files on my desk. Sitting on the chair, I started to sort.

About an hour later, I placed the organized reports into individual folders. Grabbing all of it, I knocked on her door again before entering.

"Here you are, Ms. Potts. All in alphabetized and sorted by date," I placed the folders on her desk. Her brows rose. She opened one and checked the contents. Nodding in approval, she smiled.

"Thank you,"

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Ms. Potts?"

"That will be all, thank you," I nodded and took my leave.

Sitting at my desk, the phone rang.

"Hello, Pepper Potts' office," I answered.

"This is Justin Hammer of Hammer Industries. Is Pepper Potts available?" He asked.

"One moment please," I pressed HOLD on his call and switched to Ms. Potts.

"Yes Megan?"

"Justin Hammer is on the line. Shall I put him through?" It was silent. My brows scrunched together. "Ms. Potts?"

"Oh! Um, just tell him that I'm not in,"

Switching the line, "I am sorry sir, but she is not available at the moment. Shall I leave a message?"

"Just tell her that Justin Hammer called," after that, the line went dead.

* * *

Feeling a presence, I looked up from the financial report. A man in a sharp gray suit tried to sneak into Ms. Potts' office.

Before he grabbed hold of the knob, I cleared my throat. I saw him jump a bit. I held back a chuckle that tried to escape.

"Excuse me, sir. Do you have an appointment with Ms. Potts?" I asked. Both his brows rose before he pointed to himself. I nodded in confirmation. He strode towards my desk.

"Well, if a lunch date counts as an appointment, then yes, I do have an appointment," he quipped.

"Name, sir?" He squinted his eyes at me.

"You don't know who I am?" He asked slowly, an incredulous expression across his face. I shook my head.

"I'm sorry, but I do not believe we had a chance meeting before this,"

"Does Iron Man ring any bells?" I blankly stared at him. His brows rose even higher if that were possible. "No? Not at all? I've been all over the news for the last couple months. Surely, you've heard about me?"

"Sorry, sir. Unfortunately, I do not recall," he opened his mouth until we heard a door shut. Both looking, we saw Ms. Potts exit her office. The man straightened himself before going towards her.

"Pepper, who is this woman and why doesn't know me?" I blinked, surprised. Ms. Potts surely saw the look on my face before grabbing his arm and guiding him towards my desk again.

"Megan, I would like you to meet the owner of the company, Tony Stark," my eyes widened slightly before I stood up from my chair. He smirked at my action. I guess he detected my surprise. I should have done more research. I feel like an idiot now. I berated myself, but kept my expression calm with a tiny smile. "And Tony, this is my new assistant, Megan Lu," she finished.

He stuck his hand out towards me and I shook his hand.

"I apologize for not recognizing you, sir,"

"No harm, no foul," he simply said, slipping his hands into his pockets and turned to Ms. Potts. "Pep, I thought you said that you didn't need an assistant?"

"I did, but since you have made me CEO and left all the dirty work, I need all the help I can get," she answered before turning her attention towards me.

"Megan, you can take your break now. I will be back in an hour,"

"Have a good lunch, Ms. Potts, Mr. Stark," she smiled before leaving with Stark. I sighed and slumped in my chair when I heard the elevator doors shut.

Way to go, Megan.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **And there is chapter six! She has encountered some pretty important people this chapter that will kick off Iron Man 2. I am excited to write for what's to come next! I hope you all are also.**

 **What do you guys think? Good? Bad?**

 **Leave a comment and let me know (: I'd love to read what you all think of this story.**

 **Thanks for stopping by and reading!  
**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	7. Chapter 7

The next forty days of working went by smoothly. Just filing, reporting, setting up appointments and meetings, and the like. It was a bit exhausting, but it helped keep me busy and my mind off certain things.

There was still no word on Clint or Natasha. Each day, I grew more and more worried. What if they got captured? Or worse?

I asked Phil, Maria, and even Fury if I had the chance. None of them told me anything. To place the worry at bay, I buried myself in work.

Fingers snapped in front of my face. My gaze focused on the person in front of me.

"You know that daydreaming isn't part of the job description?" Tony Stark asked. I blinked a couple times before shaking my head slightly.

"I know that," I replied, composing myself. He raised a brow towards me. "Are you taking Ms. Potts out for lunch now?"

"I just dropped her back in the office..," he trailed off, jabbing a thumb behind him. My mind was occupied for an hour? Where does the time go...

"Right, right. Guess I'm just a bit tired today," His eyes squint at me, almost like he was analyzing me. It was silent for a bit before he nodded.

"Well, I'll see you later, kid. I would love to stay and chat, but I am going to box with Happy," he two finger saluted and strode to the elevator.

"Play nice,"

"Don't I always?" He asked with an all-knowing smirk as the doors slid shut. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

* * *

Standing from my seat, I printed out the reports and knocked on her office door.

"Ms. Potts, I finished the financial records,"

"Okay. Thank you," she placed them on the side of her desk. "Now, I just ne-" a knock sounded, cutting off Ms. Potts. My eyes widened as I turned to see who it was. "Yes, Natalie?"

"Sorry for interrupting, Ms. Potts. I have the documentation for you and Mr. Stark to sign," Natalie stated. Ms. Potts nodded.

"Thank you, Natalie. Hopefully, Tony will cooperate this time," she gestured for us to follow her. Although I seemed calm on the outside, but on the inside, I was a swirl of emotions. Relief. Happiness. Confusion. Anger. So many questions needed to be answered.

The air in the elevator was a bit suffocating, to say the least.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Natalie, I would like you to meet my assistant, Megan Lu. Megan, I would like to introduce you to Natalie Rushman, she is here to help me get Tony to sign some paperwork," she introduced. I smiled slightly before shaking her hand.

"Natalie, was it?" She nodded. "It is nice to meet you,"

"Likewise," she simply said when the elevator stopped on the floor. The rest of the walk was silent.

"The notary's here!" Ms. Potts announced. Tony and Happy turned towards us. I nodded at them in greeting with a small smile. "Can you please come sign the transfer paperwork?" The men continued to box, ignoring her request.

"I promise you this is the last time I will ask you to sign over your company,"

"Is he actually going to sign it this time?" I asked.

"He better," she mumbled under her breath while shaking her head. I laughed.

"Third times the charm," she chuckled at that.

"I need you to initial each box," Natalie said, opening a file with a pen in hand. Ms. Potts took it and signed where it was needed. I raised a brow at Tony. He stared, well more like gawked, at Natalie with intrigue.

"He's staring again," Ms. Potts looked up from the documents and rolled her eyes. "That's dirty boxing!" I called out as I saw Tony kick Happy on the gut.

"That's what I said! See? Even Megan knows its dirty boxing," Tony ignored our words as he approached the ropes.

"What's your name, lady?" He called, drinking.

"Rushman. Natalie Rushman,"

"Front and center. Come into the church,"

"No. You're seriously not gonna ask..." Ms. Potts denied.

"If it pleases the court, which it does," Tony stated, cutting Ms. Potts off. She gave him a warning look which he ignored.

"It's no problem," Natalie said with a smile.

"I'm sorry. He's very eccentric," Natalie slid under the ropes and stared at Stark.

"Does he always do that to your assistants?" Pepper folded her arms and sighed while nodding.

"Unfortunately, yes. Although there was one person that kicked him to the curb," I raised a brow. She started to smile and looked down at me. "Since you didn't have any idea who he was, you caught him off guard. That took a huge blow to his ego. I remember after we left, he wanted you fired because you didn't know who he was and what he accomplished. He takes pride in his 'baby'," we both chuckled and watched Stark interact with Rushman.

"Yeah. Well, I didn't pay much attention to the news this past year," I just shrugged. As Tony strode towards us, Ms. Potts pursed her lips.

"Hey, short stuff," he greeted me with a pat on my head. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I'm not short," I stated, swatting his hand off my head. He put his hand on his head and slid it forward until it was hovering a couple inches above my head.

"Short," he finalized and patted my head again for emphasis. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"Pepper,"

"What?"

"Who is she?"

"She is from legal. And she is, potentially, a very expensive sexual harassment lawsuit if you keep ogling her like that,"

"I need a new assistant, boss," he stated, staring at Natalie. Typical male. Always wanting something they can't have.

"Yes, and I've got three excellent potential candidates. They're lined up and ready to meet you," Pepper answered, typing away on her phone.

"I don't have time to meet I need someone now. I feel like it's her,"

"No, it's not," Listening to them bicker reminded me of an old married couple.

"How do I spell your name, Natalie?" Tony asked her. The table revealed a Stark search engine.

"R-U-S-H-M-A-N," she spelt before turning her attention back to Happy.

"What, are you gonna google her now?" Ms. Potts asked incredulously.

"I thought I was ogling her," he smartly said. "Wow. Very, very impressive individual." He swiped through her files.

"You're so predictable, you know that?"

"She's fluent in French, Italian, Russian, Latin. Maybe she could help you out on that Russian, Megan," I lowly chuckled. I grinned slightly. If only he knew. "Who speaks Latin?"

"No one speaks Latin."

"No one speaks Latin?" He asked, slightly distracted as he kept swiping.

"It's a dead language. You can read Latin or you can write Latin, but you can't speak Latin..." She inputted.

"Did you model in Tokyo? 'Cause she modeled in Tokyo," he stated, zooming in on one of the photos. "I need her. She's got everything that I need,"

A loud thud sounded. My head whipped towards the boxing ring and my eyes bulge out seeing Natalie pin Happy to the floor.

"Oh, my God! Happy!" Ms. Potts called out in shock, going to the ring to check on Happy.

"That's what I'm talking about," Tony said with a smirk, following after her. I just stayed planted in my spot, trying to cover the escaped chuckle.

"I just slipped," Happy grunted, standing up slowly.

"You did,"

"Yeah,"

"Looks like a TKO to me," Tony announced, ringing the bell. Natalie grabbed the file off the floor and exited the ring.

"Just... I need your impression," she stated.

"You have a quiet reserve. I don't know, you have an old soul," he answered. I chuckled.

"Not that kind of impression, Tony," I called out. He just waved his hand at me, not taking his eyes off her.

"I meant your fingerprint."

"Right." He pressed his finger on the InkPad before placing it on the document.

"So, how are we doing?" Ms. Potts asked with a strained smile.

"Great. Just wrapping up,"

"Will that be all, Mr. Stark?" Natalie asked, closing the file.

"No."

"Yes, that will be all, Ms. Rushman," Ms. Potts finalized. "Thank you very much,"

As Natalie walked away, I noticed her look at me before leaving the room.

"Ms. Potts, your meeting is in ten minutes," Ms. Potts nodded before following me out.

* * *

Walking down my floor, I noticed my apartment door slightly ajar. My breath caught in my throat. Being quiet as possible, I lightly pushed it open and silently closed it. Familiar sparks ran through my hand. Sensing someone behind me, I threw my hand towards them. I gasped in shock and decreased the charge in my hand.

"Natasha! What the hell?" I exclaimed in fright. I placed my hand down. "You're lucky I stopped before doing some serious damage!" My heart was racing. I almost fried her. I felt hot tears build up as I looked at her.

"Megan," she tried to soothe me. She took a step closer, but I retracted back.

"When did you and Clint get back?" I asked, trying to keep calm. She had a guilty look on her face.

"About a month ago," she answered.

"Why didn't you tell me? I was worried sick about you two! You guys were gone for three months! No one would tell me anything. I... I thought the worst of you two..," I sobbed before she pulled me into a hug. I returned it, tears streaming down my face. We pulled apart.

I saw a black smudge on the sleeve of her blouse.

"I got a bit of.." I pointed to the spot. She looked at it.

"This was my favorite blouse," she joked. We both laughed. She wiped my tears away. She sat me down on the couch and sat next to me. "On the mission, it took longer than we thought it would. There were some false leads and one thing led to another disaster," she briefly explained. "When Clint and I came back, Fury put me in another mission right away. I have some things to do at Stark Industries," I opened my mouth to question, but she cut me off. "Since you are Pepper's assistant, he told me I wasn't to contact you. If you recognized me and called my name, it would have blown my cover," I nodded in understanding.

"Are you spying on Tony or something?" She nodded. "I noticed you kept examining him. He has this crazy idea that you want him. You got to be more subtle," I teased, bumping her shoulder. She scoffed.

"He's not my type," I laughed.

"Pepper thinks you're trying to steal him away from her," I told. Natasha gave me an incredulous look. "Well, she didn't tell me, but I can tell from her body language and expression. She's kind of an open book,"

"I'll try to tone it down,"

"You better if you want to stick around longer," we sat quiet for a moment before Natasha abruptly stood up.

"I almost forgot. I have a surprise for you," she informed and went to my room.

"There's a surprise in my room?" I stood up from the couch and followed after her.

"Wait out there!" She ordered through the closed door. I leaned against the wall and waited. The bedroom door opened and Natasha walked out with a little bundle in her arms.

"Oh my gosh. You stole a baby?!" I asked incredulously. I don't think I ever mentioned anything about taking a baby. She chuckled.

"Something like that," she placed the bundle gently in my arms and opened the blanket. I gasped in surprise and was in awe. A little head peeked out of the opening. Its mouth opened and let out a yawn.

"A caracal? How did yo-"

"I have my sources," she answered slyly. "Isn't he cute?" She scratched behind his ears. The baby had a thick tawny coat, his ears had tufts of hair at the tip that stood upright, and piercing blue eyes.

"He's beautiful. Does he have a name yet?" I asked, smiling down at the bundle in my arms. Natasha shook her head.

"Nope. This is all you, mama," Nat teased.

"Fenris," I thought aloud. He looked at me and blinked. I smiled, rubbing his cheek.

"I thought that since you're not at base anymore, you could use the company," she said.

"Thank you, Natasha," I pulled her in a one armed hug, careful not to squish Fenris. "Are you hungry? I could whip up something?"

"Since I'm already here, why not?" I rolled my eyes and nudged past her to the kitchen with a new companion in my arms.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello everyone! Sorry I'm a day late on updating. I started school this week and my business courses are all work filled. Ugh. Have I mentioned that I hate school?**

 **I've noticed that no one reviewed the last couple chapters. I'm a bit bummed about it, but I will continue writing just for enjoyment.**

 **So, we finally launched into Iron Man 2! Anyone hyped about it? I am!**

 **I want to thank everyone who reads this bilge I upload haha!**

 **See you all next time!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	8. Chapter 8

Finishing with a swipe of red lipstick, I inspected my outfit choice for the luncheon at Hotel de Paris.

"Does this look alright?" I turned around and saw Natasha in a coral pink pencil dress with a sweetheart neckline.

"Well. If you're vying for Tony's attention, you have certainly nailed it," I teased with a snigger. She lightly pushed me before fixing her hair. I sat on the edge of the bed. "Besides, I thought you said that you would be more subtle?"

"Being less subtle landed me the job as his personal assistant. It's already too late for that," she replied. "Love the hair by the way,"

Couple days before the trip to Monaco, I finally decided for a change. No longer was my black hair settling along my waist. It now resembled the color of wine that stopped halfway down my back with interior layering throughout and face framing bangs. Running a brush through, I started to braid a dutch fishtail. Looking in the mirror, I tied off the braid and tugged on some spots to create some volume.

After strapping on some beige heels, I stood and smoothed my beige peplum dress.

"You ready? We have to be there in fifteen minutes," Natasha nodded and grabbed her clutch. "Be a good boy, Fenris," he yawned and curled into himself even more. I gently petted his head and left the hotel room.

* * *

"Ms. Potts texted me. They're here," I notified.

"Showtime," Natasha said. I led the way towards the entrance and smiled. Just as they walked in, they were already in a heated discussion about something.

"Hello, Ms. Potts, Mr. Stark," I greeted the tense couple.

"Hello," a server passed them drinks. Before they took a sip, I placed it back on the tray and gestured to a man behind me.

"We have one photographer from the ACM, if you don't mind. Is that okay?" The couple nodded and smiled for the camera while continuing to bicker.

I rolled my eyes as Tony whisked Natasha away. I gave Ms. Potts her drink. "You all right, Ms. Potts?" I asked, watching her gulp her drink.

"I'm fine. Thank you," she breathed out after finishing her drink. I gently took the glass from her. Don't want her to get drunk now, especially at a luncheon in a foreign country.

"I will check to see if your table is ready," she nodded and followed after Tony. I walked towards Natasha as Tony and Ms. Potts weaved their way toward the bar. "Well, they're already at it again," I muttered. Natasha saw Ms. Potts face flush in irritation as Tony went off with a guy and a reporter. "Who's that guy?"

"That's Justin Hammer," At least I could put a name to a face. That man had been calling for Ms. Potts almost every day. It was rather irritating going over the same lines each time he called. And now, he's harassing Tony. "I'll go get Tony and you get Pepper," I nodded in agreement.

Making my way towards the bar, Ms. Potts kept sipping her drink. "Ms. Potts, your table is ready," she placed the glass down and followed after me.

She sat at the table and took a sip of water. Discreetly, I checked around the room, but found no sign of Tony or Natasha.

A gasp sounded and I looked down at Ms. Potts staring at the TV with widened eyes. I looked and internally groaned as I saw Tony get in the race car.

"Natalie. Natalie," Natasha scurried towards us. "Did you know about this?"

"This is the first that I have known of it,"

"This... This cannot happen." Panic rose in her voice.

"Absolutely. I understand."

"How can we help you?" I asked.

"Where's Happy?"

"He's waiting outside," Natasha answered.

"Okay, get him. I need Happy," Ms. Potts said, eyes glued on the screen.

"Right away," Natasha made her way outside to notify Happy.

"Let's go, Megan," we both stood and exited the building.

* * *

"Hang on," Happy warned as he rammed through a yellow barrier and entered the race track. I jerked forward a bit from the collision and braced myself for the rough journey. Oh boy.

"Be careful!" I voiced as Happy sped through the track, dodging oncoming race cars. My heart was beating a mile a minute.

"Give me the case," Ms. Potts ordered.

"Here. Take it," he passed it to her while keeping his eyes on the road.

"Where's the key?"

"It's in my pocket," he reached in his pocket to pull it out. My eyes widened as a race car came surging toward us.

"Car!" How Happy dodged all of those race cars, I'll never know.

Finally, we arrived in one piece to the finish line.

"Oh, my God!" Ms. Potts screamed as Happy rammed into a guy. I lurched forward before crashing back into my seat. Whoever made seat belts is a genius.

"Are you guys okay?" Happy turned to check our wellbeing.

"Yeah." We answered, trying to catch our breath. I leaned back in my seat. My heart hammered in my chest. I don't get paid enough for this.

"Are you out of your mind?" Ms. Potts screamed, beyond furious. "Get in the car right now!" I'd hate to get on her bad side.

"I was attacked! We need better security," Tony voiced, which only fueled her anger more.

"Get in the car!" Screeched Ms. Potts.

"You're CEO. Better security measures," he repeated as he made his way to the other side of the car. He opened my side of the car.

"Oh, my God!" I jumped with wide eyes, seeing the car door get sliced in half. Happy rammed the car against the man again.

"I got him!" Happy yelled, ramming again.

"How is this guy still alive?" I asked as Happy hit him again. He slashed the car again. Ms. Potts screamed.

"Take the case! Take it!" She yelled, panicking. She fumbled with the case each time Happy slammed the car on the guy.

"Give him the case!" Happy yelled as his airbag went off. She screamed again. Seeing where he was aiming, I pushed her just as the whip sliced the car in half.

Yelling in pain, I felt hot, searing pain. Looking down, a deep lash appeared on my arm. Tears sprung in my eyes. I flinched in pain as I tried to cover it with my other hand. It started to bleed heavily. I grunted from the burning sensation.

He lifted his arm again and slashed her side of the car. I pulled her away. Before he sliced my side, I rolled out of the car. I gasped in pain as I landed on my bad arm. I gingerly touched the gash and hissed in pain. My arm was pulsing in agony.

I tore the bottom of my dress and wrapped my arm with the fabric to staunch the flow.

"Give me the case! Please! Come on!" Tony yelled. She chucked the case at him. The suit pieced together on him and he kicked the car away from danger.

I slowly got up off the ground. Tony tried to shoot a repulsor beam, but the man kept deflecting with his electric whips. He wrapped them around Tony before tossing him on the car.

"Hey asshole!" He turned his attention towards me. He raised a brow and started to rotate his electrical whips.

Deep down, I was utterly terrified, but I felt the electricity run through my veins as I built up the power. Dodging left and rolling right, I swept kick under his legs and he fell flat on his back. Wrapping my hands around his neck, I electrocuted him just enough to knock him out. His body spasmed and closed his eyes. I let out the breath I was holding.

I saw a glowing circle on his chest and it looked similar to the one Tony has. About to rip it off, his eyes shot open and swatted me to the ground. My head smacked against the concrete. I groaned as my vision spun. Looking back, he started towards me again. My heart started to race as I vainly tried to look for an outlet.

"Move, Megan!" Tony yelled. I scurried backwards as the guy looked at Tony. Tony fired up his repulsor beam and shot him again. Ignoring the pain, I limped as fast as I could towards the car.

"Are you guys all right?" I asked, gasping from exhaustion and pain. They nodded before gasping. I turned around and saw the whips wrapped around Tony. I was about to step in again, but stopped as Tony coiled them around himself and flipped the guy over. Once he was down, Tony destroyed the arc reactor and the guy stayed down.

Cheers rang throughout the track and policemen proceeded to drag the man away.

"You okay, Tony?" I asked, walking up to him. He kept looking at the arc reactor in his hand.

"On my god! Megan!" I turned to see Ms. Potts rushing towards us. "You're bleeding!" She exclaimed. I looked down at the fabric soaked in my blood.

"Yeah. You got a bit of red on you," Tony stated, pointing at my arm.

"It's all right," I said waving it off.

"All right? You call this all right?" She asked incredulously. "You are coming with me, missy. You might get an infection if this isn't treated properly!" She grabbed my uninjured arm and proceeded to drag me towards the paramedics.

* * *

"Ms. Potts, I am completely able to work," I contended, glancing down at my arm. After the whole crazy fiasco, I was escorted to the hospital to get my arm fixed up. It has five stitches, was bandaged securely, and placed in a sling for extra precaution. She sighed on the other line.

"Megan, you got seriously injured a couple days ago. I gave you the week to rest and recover. I don't want you to overexert yourself,"

"But, I-"

"No excuses! And as your boss, I order you to stay home for the rest of the week. I will see you Saturday evening, Megan," With that final note, the line ended. I sighed and dropped the phone on the couch.

I felt something scratch my leg. Looking down, I saw Fenris and picked him up with my good arm.

"What did I tell you about paws, mister?" Placing him on my lap, he looked up at me and rubbed his head against my thighs. I stroked the fur on his head and smiled when he purred. "You're so silly,"

What am I going to do for the next three days? Flipping on the TV, I channel surfed to pass time. A couple minutes passed and I'm already bored. I turned it off and sat back.

I looked down at my hand. The familiar tendrils of electricity surrounded it. I stared at it and let the power build up.

I wonder...

Curling my hand, I was in awe. The tendrils slowly started to form. Concentrating harder, it shaped itself into a ball.

"Wow," I breathed. It grew steadily until it was the size of my palm. This is new.

A knock sounded through. Startled, I jumped. The ball dissipated. Fenris jumped and started to hiss at the door. He jumped off my lap and ran towards it, hissing louder. I glanced through the peephole and opened it.

"Hello Fury. Was there something you needed?" He nodded before stepping in. I gave a look as his form retreated in my house. I don't recall inviting you in...

Fenris followed after him, hissing slightly. "It's okay, Fenris," he looked up at me and pawed for me to pick him up. Even though he acted fierce, he's still a baby. Cradling him in my good arm, I followed after Fury.

"Bored at home?" He asked, entering the kitchen.

"Just a tad," he nodded and grabbed a cookie from the jar.

"I heard that the Monaco Historic Grand Prix was quite the show this year,"

"Oh yeah. That homicidal maniac was icing on the cake," I dryly replied. He chuckled.

"Yeah, it appears so," he agreed and bit the cookie. His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You made these?" I nodded.

"Well, I've been at home for the last three days. I got bored. Food Network has been a big help lately,"

"It's good," he pointed out, finishing it. "Back to the issue at hand, some people spotted something. Not everyone keeps their eye on Iron Man," he slid his phone towards me. A picture of me was shown when I shocked him on the ground. My hands, which were encased in little volts of electricity, clasped around the man's throat. "You best be more careful out there,"

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling a bit frustrated that people witnessed what I did. "I had to protect them, all right? I mean, that man was going to kill Tony. I couldn't just sit there idly and twiddle my thumbs," I stated dryly. "And since I can do what I am able to do, I will use it when I see fit. I can't bear to see someone get hurt," I trailed off, placing Fenris on the couch. I sighed. "I'm sorry. I'll try to be more careful next time,"

"You don't have to apologize. You did what anyone would do if it meant saving someone," I raised a brow. "Well, some people. I already wiped out the photos from the internet so no one is able to see this information," I smiled, feeling slightly relieved.

"Thank you," he nodded once before heading out.

"You know, I need somebody like you. An agent who is selfless. Somebody I can trust," he gave me a pointed look.

"Still thinking about it," he chuckled.

"I figured. Well, think fast. This opportunity isn't open forever," he stated, trying to lure me in. He walked toward the door. Before he twisted the knob, he turned back around. "Oh by the way, can I have that recipe?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello my lovely readers! Happy Saturday! Finally, another update after a whole week. Woo!**

 **We finally got to see more of what Megan is capable of. Hopefully it didn't disappoint!**

 **I have a question for you all: Should I update twice a week or just update on Saturdays? Let me know in the comments on what you prefer.**

 **Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

 **I will see you all next time!**

 **\- YoullBeAvenged**


	9. Chapter 9

"I know, Nat. I'll be there soon," I spoke, glancing down at my black A-line dress with a pearl embellished turndown collar. The tulle style skirt stopped just above my knees. Nothing too revealing. I styled my hair into a braided bun and slipped on some heels.

"Better hurry or you'll miss the show," the line went dead. Giving Fenris a loving pat on the head and snatching the box off the counter, I was out the door.

* * *

"Hi, Ms. Potts," I greeted, entering the house. People she hired scurried around the place, vainly trying to get everything the way she wanted.

"Megan. Glad to see you made it," she smiled. "How's your arm doing?"

"Good news is I don't need the sling anymore," All that laid on my arm is a bandage to cover up the marred flesh.

"That's good," she replied, slightly busy on making sure everything is in order.

"Have you seen Tony? I just wanted to give him his gift before the party starts,"

"He's in his room, still getting ready. He should be done by now. It's the third door on the left,"

"Thanks, boss!" I called before heading up the stairs. I walked down the hall and knocked on the door. It opened, revealing the birthday boy. "Happy birthday, Tony!" I greeted. He gave a small smile before gesturing me to come in.

"Thanks, short stuff," he stated and fixed his tie. I placed the box on the table. "A present for me?" He walked towards it and opened it. An array of cupcakes spelt out 'Happy Birthday' with his signature Iron Man mask on the last one.

"I know it's not much, but Pepper mentioned you like red velvet," he turned back towards me with a brow raised.

"You made these?" I nodded. He picked one up and sniffed it before giving me an inquisitive look. "How do I know if you poisoned it?" I chuckled and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, Tony. Tony, Tony, Tony. If I wanted to kill you, it'd be something far more creative," I responded with a devious smile. He took a step back with bewilderment. I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Just kidding, Tony,"

"Oh ha ha..," he dryly laughed before biting into the cupcake. "Wow, this is good," he stared at the chocolate ganache filling before he shoved the rest in his mouth. "You sure you made this?" He asked, voice muffled due to the unfinished cupcake in his mouth. I think I saw a few crumbs fly out past my face. I crinkled my nose in mild disgust.

"Yeah, I did. Being stuck at home for six days with nothing to do, does something to a person," he chuckled before diving into another one. "And the Internet is a big help,"

"Man, if you had all that time, you should have catered this party. Pep hired some French pastry chef, and the dessert was a bit on the bland side," He complained. "He was snooty and his French accent is inauthentic. The petit fours I tasted earlier were bitter and dry. This," he gestured to the cupcake, holding it up like it was the Holy Grail. "Is so moist, it feels like I am skinny dipping in a velvety chocolate fountain."

"Okay... I did not need that vision," I groaned, shaking my head. "Well, I'll leave you to get finished. See you downstairs," I patted his shoulder and walked towards the door.

"How did you do it?" I turned back and saw him staring at me with a serious expression.

"You could just YouTube the reci-" he exasperatedly sighed.

"Not that," he crossed his arms in a huff. "I meant what you did to Vanko. The man with the, you know," he rotated his arms making whipping noises. I laughed at his reenactment. Although I was laughing, I felt my stomach churn. Got to play it cool.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You know exactly what I mean," he narrowed his eyes at me before continuing. "A man like that wouldn't just convulse and fall flat on his ass," he walked towards me and stared down, waiting for an explanation. Keeping my composure, I shot him a confused look.

"How would I know? Maybe his weaponry malfunctioned? Not everyone can be a tech genius."

"You're lying," I opened my mouth to retort, but the door opened. I turned my head and saw Natasha come in with wide eyes.

"Is everything all right?" She asked, taking a step towards us. Tony took a step away from me and made himself a drink. Once he turned around, she shot me a look. I shook my head and took my leave. Damn Stark and his observing nature.

* * *

Walking down the stairs, I noticed many guests arrived. And by many, I meant a ton.

Many women wore slinky cocktail dresses and already seemed beyond tipsy. One girl even dragged her friend down with her when she tripped over her own feet. Now I remember why I never attended any high school parties.

"Are his parties always like this?" I asked my boss. A server handed me a glass of champagne. I took a sip, trying to forget what happened a moment ago.

"Unfortunately, but we have to keep up with appearances," she greeted another CEO and walked off with some small talk. The music was booming. It felt more like a night club than a birthday party. Lights flashed, people hooted and hollered, and the occasional disturbing bump and grind. I shuddered. I think I am starting to regret attending this party.

A man bumped into me, making me almost spill my drink. He reeked of alcohol. I gagged slightly when he scanned my form. Yup, I definitely regret it now.

"Hey there, pretty lady. You wanna dance? A girl like you shouldn't be by herself," He said, laying a hand on my arm. I shrugged it off and took a step away from the intoxicated man.

"I'm sorry, but I'm waiting for someone," I said, looking around for a distraction. Bingo. The man who just came in appeared to be sober. Please be sober. "Oh! Sweetie! I've been looking everywhere for you!" The man pointed to himself and he saw the desperate look on my face. I kept the smile plastered on my face as he made his way over.

"Sorry I'm late. Traffic was terrible," he stated with a smile. "Who's this guy?" He asked, shooting a glare. The guy lifted his hands in surrender and left. I sighed in relief.

"Thank you so much, sir. That man just wouldn't take no for an answer," he chuckled, pushing his hands in his pockets.

"It's not a problem, miss. I'm Colonel James Rhodes," he held a hand out.

"Nice to meet you, Colonel Rhodes. I'm Megan Lu," I shook his hand. I felt shocked that a colonel went along with the plan to help me out of a nasty situation.

"You must be Pepper's assistant," I nodded. "Have you seen her? I need to discuss something with her,"

I scanned the room and saw her walking towards us. "Right this way," we weaved through the crowd and met up with Pepper. Her face bore a panicked expression. I sighed. I've seen this woman stress enough for a lifetime over the course of my employment.

"I'm going to go get some air," she said, making her way towards the exit. Rhodes stopped her.

"What's wrong?" Pepper led us to the main room. We saw Tony stumbling around the stage, clutching a champagne bottle.

"I don't know what to do." She admitted, staring at the show Tony was putting on.

"You gotta be kidding me," Rhodes frustratingly sighed. "That's it. I'm making... Pepper,"

"No, no, no. Don't call anyone," Ms. Potts pleaded.

"This is ridiculous. I just stuck my neck out for this guy!" He exclaimed, pointing at Tony.

"I'm gonna handle it, okay?" She reassured before making her way to the stage.

"Handle it. Or I'm gonna have to," he replied, crossing his arms.

"Does he do this often?" He stared down at me.

"Stark can be a bit reckless..,"

"You know, the question I get asked most often is, "Tony, how do you go to the bathroom in the suit?"" He slurred in the microphone. A moment of silence passes. "Just like that." Did he seriously just pee in the suit? I crinkled my nose in disgust.

Ms. Potts made her way over to him, straining behind a smile.

"Does this guy know how to throw a party or what?" She gave a fake laugh. The crowd cheered and yelled.

"I love you-," he confessed drunkenly.

"Tony, we all thank you so much for such a wonderful night. And we 're gonna say good night now, and thank you all for coming-," Many disapproving comments and groans rang through the crowd. Glancing at Rhodes, I could tell his patience was wearing thin.

"She's right. The party's over," He announced in a sad tone. "Then again, the party was over for me, like, an hour and a half ago. The after party starts in 15 minutes!" Cheers boomed around the room. "And if anybody, Pepper, doesn't like it, there's the door," He gestured, setting off the repulsor beam and shattering the glass.

The cheers grew louder. Girls started throwing objects for Tony to shoot. Ms. Potts fled off the stage, avoiding the falling glass. I scurried my way towards her and pulled her to a safe spot.

"You didn't get hurt, did you Ms. Potts?" She shook her head. I looked back towards the stage. "I'll handle this," I made my way toward the stage, avoiding flying objects. "Tony! You gotta stop!" A watermelon exploded and rained down as the crowd continued to roar.

"I'm only gonna say this once." The crowd grew silent and turned towards Rhodes wearing an Iron Man suit. "Get out." People panicked and quickly made their way towards the exit. I hurried off the stage and escorted Ms. Potts out of the room. We made our way towards the exit. Natasha rushed toward us. Was this what Natasha meant by a show? Stark going mad and blowing stuff up?

"Natalie!" Ms. Potts called, fury laced in her voice.

"Miss Potts."

"Don't you "Miss Potts" me! I'm on to you. You know what? Ever since you came here..." A crash interrupted her rant.

I pushed them both towards the exit. The boys continued to brawl as people gawked at the scene. It was all too much. Tony slammed Rhodes head first into the piano and screamed, scaring off the crowd. I stood as people pushed past me in fear of getting attacked.

Rhodes grabbed a piece of debris and smashed it at Tony, making him land in the fireplace. They both charged their repulsor beams and fired at each other.

Quickly, I ran around the corner of the building and braced myself. I felt the walls rumble from the blast. The glass windows broke and smoke emitted the air. I coughed and made my way in. Waving the smoke away, I saw both men have a staring contest. Rhodes flew off.

"Tony!" I scurried over to his still form and crouched down. "You okay?" He pushed me away.

"I'm fine," he grunted as he stood up and made his way outside. I got on my feet, following after him.

"Where are you going?" Without even looking back, he flew off as well. I ran a hand through my hair in frustration.

Great. Just great.

* * *

"What are you doing here, Tony?" I asked as he stopped in front of my desk. I closed the file and stared up at him. A box full of strawberries cradled in his arm. "You know she's allergic to strawberries, right?"

"Is Pep in? I need to talk to her," he asked anxiously, completely ignoring what I said. He started his way toward her office door. I quickly got up from my chair and scurried after him.

"She is busy trying to sort out the mess you made. I highly advise you to not bother her. She's infuriated enough as it is," he opened the door. Why doesn't he ever listen? I sent my boss an apologetic look, "I am terribly sorry for disrupting, Ms. Potts. Mr. Stark just let himself in,"

She gave him an exasperated look, then continued the call. I took my leave and returned to work with a sigh.

"Hey, Megan," I looked up and saw Natasha with Happy trailing behind her. "Is Pepper ready?" Happy asked.

"Hi Happy. Natalie. She's just taking care of some mess that came in,"

"He's in there isn't he?" I nodded before grabbing the finished file and opened her office door.

"Ms. Potts?" I peeked my head in to see if it was all right and she wasn't screaming her head off at Tony. Although the air was tense, it was quiet so I pushed the door open.

"Hi, come on in."

"Wheels up in 25 minutes," Happy stated, lifting the briefcase in his hand.

"Thank you."

"Anything else, boss?"

"I'm good, Hap."

"No, I'll be just... another minute." Ms. Potts and Tony answered simultaneously. He chuckled nervously.

"I lost both the kids in the divorce." He joked with a strained smile. Natasha gave something for Ms. Potts to sign.

"Are you blending in well here, Natalie? Here at Stark Enterprises? Your name is Natalie, isn't it?" She shot him a discreet warning look. "I thought you two didn't get along,"

"No. That's not so,"

"It's just me you don't care for." The room was silent.

"No? Nothing?"

"Actually, while you're here, maybe you and Natalie could discuss the matter of the personal belongings," She stated before taking her leave.

"Absolutely," Natasha voiced.

"Here is the itinerary for tomorrow, Ms. Potts," I passed her the paper as we headed out. She took it from me and glanced over it.

"I almost forgot. Megan, would you please get the file Ms. Rushman has? I just need to do a quick overview,"

"Right away," I strode back to her office. "Excuse me, but Ms. Potts needs those files, Natalie," she handed me the folder.

"Is she on this too?" Tony gestured to me. I raised a brow. She gave me a knowing look. He knows.

* * *

As cheers erupted in the crowd, Ms. Potts, Natasha, and I kept stoic expressions when the 'Hammer Drones' appeared. It's a knockoff of Tony's suits. Doesn't this man have any idea about copyright infringement?

"That's a hell of a lot better than some cheerleaders, let me tell you," Justin Hammer chuckled. "But as revolutionary as this technology is, there will always be a need for man to be present in the theater of war. Ladies and gentlemen, today I am proud to present to you the very first prototype in the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit and its pilot, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes," Rhodes, clad in the Iron Man suit, rose to the podium.

This is bad. Really bad.

Hammer was about to continue droning on, but I, and everyone else, averted their attention at the sound. Iron Man flew in, stepping on Hammer's moment. Everyone stood and cheered loudly for his appearance. My brows furrowed. Everything about this screamed bad news.

My eyes widened. The colonel and the drones pointed their weapons at the crowd. They all started shooting Tony.

The entire place erupted into chaos. Everyone screamed and ran towards the exit. I tried to keep close quarters with Natasha and Ms. Potts. Rhodes and some drones flew after Tony while some stayed back and marched towards the frightened crowd. I pushed my way through and we marched towards a frantic Hammer.

"You have a lot of explaining to do," I voiced, startling the man.

"He's locked us out of the mainframe," a guy said, typing furiously on the keys.

"Who's locked you out of the mainframe?" questioned Ms. Potts, demanding an answer.

"Please, please, go away. Go away. I've got this handled." Hammer waved us away.

"Seeing you in quite a state of panic, it seems like you don't," I pointed out.

"Yes, I do. In fact, if your guy hadn't showed up, this wouldn't be happening. So please, now go away. Thank you," He spat. "Listen, we got to get these bitches out of here," I am going to give this ass a piece of my mind.

I stepped towards him, but Natasha beat me to it by slamming him on the table. I blinked in surprise. I'd hate to get on her bad side.

"You tell me who's behind this," she snarled, pressing his face harder against the metal surface. He groaned in pain. Note to self, never piss off Nat. "Who's behind this?" She repeated.

"Ivan. Ivan Vanko," answered Hammer.

Ms. Potts pulled out her phone to call the authorities. Natasha quickly left to find Vanko.

"I need NYPD, please."

"No, no, no!" He protested after recovering from Natasha's wrath.

"Command Central."

"No, no, honey. Don't call the authorities."

"Mr. Hammer, I would highly advise you to step aside. This is beyond your control," I stated calmly, but gave him a death glare.

He sighed before holding his hands up in surrender and stood to the side.

"Ms. Potts, I am going to get civilians to safety," I stated before running out. Her calls were drowned out by the chaos outside the Expo. "People head to the exits!" I yelled among all the screams. I pushed people to move faster as the drones shot at Tony.

Once civilians were away from the building, I turned towards the drones. Throwing my hands out, an ball of electricity flew out. My brows shot up. That's new. New is good for a situation like this.

Some nearby drones started to target me. I dived behind a pillar to deflect the oncoming bullets. Charging up my hands, the ball grew bigger. When the fire ceased, I immediately threw it towards the drones and took refuge behind the pillar when they exploded. With a loud thump, they were down. I smirked and stood straight before swaying slightly as my vision spun.

Blinking a couple times, I felt something wet. Wiping my nose, I noticed the blood. What the hell? I hastily wiped the rest of it off.

Although the drones were down around me, I still had a bad feeling. I crouched next to one and examined it. The drone emitted smoke from where the head used to be. Must have been the electric volts I sent toward it from earlier.

"Megan!" I turned and saw Ms. Potts. "Are you all right?" I stood and walked towards her.

"I'm fine. Tony shot them down before they got me," I lied. She nodded and sighed, not suspecting a thing. "Ms. Potts, it would be best to leave the premises,"

"Not until the park is cleared," I bit my lip.

Suddenly, the arc reactors on the drones started to beep and flash.

My eyes widened.

A scream sounded behind me.

In confusion, I saw Tony whisk her away to safety. My eyes widened as I watched them fly away before staring back at the drones scattered around the area. Uh oh.

The drone in front of me detonated and others sounded off in the distance. I threw my hands up. I know doing that was not a great idea. Curse my natural instincts.

The weird thing was I didn't feel my body obliterate when the explosions went off.

Slightly opening one eye, a sort of force field shrouded me from harm. Before I can marvel at what I had done, a sharp pang inflicted my head. I winced.

I felt my arms start to quiver violently.

My vision started to blur. I rapidly blinked, trying to stay focused.

What's happening to me?

Once the detonations ceased, my legs gave out on me and darkness consumed me.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Sorry I updated this a day late. I made this one a bit longer than usual to make it up to all of you!

Also, this chapter concludes Iron Man 2! Woo!

It will be a bit AU before I get into The Avengers.

A little surprise will be coming along the way! ;)

So many things happened in this chapter! First, flinging electro balls and now an electro shield? Her powers are advancing quickly. All will be revealed soon.

How did you guys feel about this chapter? Was it too rushed? Too slow? Should I put in more detail? Ideas, compliments and constructive criticisms are all welcome.

Hope to hear from you all soon.

Until next time!

-YoullBeAvenged


	10. Chapter 10

A constant beep stirred me. Opening my eyes was a mistake as a bright light blinded me. I groaned. Rapidly blinking, my eyes adjusted to the awfully bright white room. The first thing I noticed was the heart rate monitor.

I turned to my side and saw Natasha sitting in one of the chairs, a magazine in her hands.

"It's like I'm back at square one," I stated with a chuckle.

"You're not going to make a run for it, are you?" She jokingly asked before placing the magazine back on the side table. I broke out in laughter.

"How did I get here?" I asked once I calmed down. She handed me a drink. I smiled appreciatively and drank its contents. She sat back with her arms crossed before letting out a sigh.

"Well from what Pepper has told me, she yelled at Tony to go back to get you since he only made a grab for her. Which was an idiotic move on his part," I let out a dry chuckle. "She thought you died because of the explosions and everything. So, to please her, he went back and found you passed out on the ground without a scratch on you. And Stark being Stark, he kept pestering me for answers. I have no idea why he thinks I have all the answers," I rolled my eyes.

"That man just can't keep his nose out of other people's business,"

"Well, I'm sure many others would like to know what happened," a knock sounded. Natasha got up and opened the door. Ms. Potts and Tony walked in. She held a bouquet of flowers. I sat up.

"Megan, I am so glad to see that you are okay," she said, giving me the flowers. I smiled at the thoughtful gesture. "Tony told me that he found you unconscious in the Expo," I shot Tony a smile.

"I had to find some sort of cover since somebody didn't come for me," Tony gave me a bewildered look.

"I knew you got it covered," he simply stated. I shot him a loathing look. I could have died because of his idiocy!

"Ms. Potts, is it all right to speak to you? Alone," I emphasized on the last word. Natasha got up from the chair and escorted herself and a protesting Tony out of the room. Ms. Potts took the vacant seat next to my bed. I sighed before beginning, "Ms. Potts, it has been an absolute joy being your assistant for Stark Industries, but I am afraid that I have to quit. I feel that I-"

She held a hand up, signalling me to stop. I complied and leaned against the pillows.

"It is perfectly fine, Megan. I understand completely. You've risked your life during your time as my assistant and I do not want anyone to be in harms way. You have been an astounding assistant and I thank you for that. I have a feeling that my future assistants can't compare," she smiled. I returned it. I am so glad she understood. It would have been awkward if I miscommunicated.

"Thank you for understanding, Ms. Potts,"

"Since I'm not your boss anymore, Pepper will do just fine,"

"That will be something to get used to," she stood and smoothed down her skirt.

"I hope you recover soon, Megan," I nodded with a wave as she exited the room.

* * *

"Fenris! Oh how much I missed you," I scooped him in my arms and peppered his head with kisses. He purred and rubbed his head.

"Glad to see you doing okay," I snapped my head up and saw Fury casually lounging on the couch.

"Did you come up the fire escape?" He chuckled before pulling out a key.

"Since I helped you start off here, this place is technically under my name," he smartly replied.

"Any reason for stopping by? I'm sure it's not just to check on my health," I sat on the chair that was adjacent to the couch and rubbed Fenris' tummy. He purred in delight.

Fury sat up and handed me a manilla folder. On the front had a bold red stamp that read "AVENGERS INITIATIVE". I raised a brow in confusion before looking at him.

"How do you feel about being a part of The Avengers Initiative?"

"First day I come home from time of chaos and now, I'm about to step into some more?" I sighed and looked at him in the eye. "Tell me more,"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello lovelies! I was just informed by Day (Guest) that I have skipped some things. It completely slipped my mind and I posted it out of order. Thank you so much for telling me this! I hope I didn't confuse too many of you guys.**

 **So good news for you all, two chapters this week! Woo!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	11. Chapter 11

"Hey boss," I greeted as I scurried in the backroom, placing my bag in my locker. He sighed, rubbing his balding head.

"Cutting it a bit close, Megan," I nodded. "You got to get here a bit earlier. This is prime cake time," he notified, leaving the backroom. He always says that. Closing my locker, I slipped my lock in place and headed out of the backroom.

"Hey Megan. You already clocked in?" I smiled at my coworker.

"Hi Kyle. Yeah. Are you ready for "prime cake time"?" I asked, quoting our boss. He chuckled.

"Who isn't ready for that time of day? It seems to me that you need a bit of cake time," He teased, poking my shoulder. I rolled my eyes and lightly shoved his shoulder.

"That man tells me that every time I come in for work,"

"He says it to everyone. No matter what time of day. Come on squirt, we gotta get to work on selling these pastries," he chuckled before leading the way to the bakery counter. I scoffed and grabbed my apron as I trailed after him.

Kyle was a tall, green eyed, clean shaven guy with short brown hair. He has sharp facial features and muscles almost as big as my head. He may look intimidating, but the guy's a big softy. Almost like a teddy bear. His personality was laid back and friendly. When I first met him a week ago, his form towered over mine, dwarfing me by at least a foot. I was beyond shocked when boss told me he was a patissier alongside him. He could pass off as a bodyguard. I guess you can't judge a book by its cover.

I hope to gain a position like that. Make my own delightful confections that people would enjoy and hopefully learn more about the art of pastry making. It has been my dream ever since I was a child.

* * *

 _ **~~Flashback~~**_  
 _"_ _Mommy! Mommy! Happy Birthday!" A seven year old me barged through the office door with a slightly scorched cake. The small, uneven yellow cake was slightly black around the edges and was covered in pink frosting and star shaped sprinkles to hide the evidence. I gave her a megawatt smile and placed it on her desk._

 _She stopped typing away and looked down with a small smile on her face._

 _"_ _Oh sweetie. What is this? This is so pretty! How did you make this yummy looking cake?" She gave me a loving pat on the head._

 _"_ _Daddy helped me, but I did most of the work! I decorated it with your favorite color and put stars on it! See!" I pointed to the messy design._

 _She chuckled and nodded._

 _"_ _I see. I see. Well, you did a wonderful job, Megan. Thank you for the cake,"_

 _"_ _Aren't you going to eat it, mommy?" I asked, cocking my head to the side._

 _"_ _Of course! How could I forget?" She picked up her fork as I stared up at her in anticipation._

 _I guess the cake was a bit hard as she had a hard time getting a bite._

 _Slicing a piece, she placed it in her mouth and chewed. Her face broke into a smile. "It's so good!"_

 _ **~~Flashback End~~**_

* * *

I recall the grimace on her face when she tasted it. Even though it showed on her face that it wasn't the tastiest thing in the world, it meant a lot that she said it was good.

Those were one of my better memories of my parents.

Even when I was a kid, both of them were workaholics.

They were always busy either at the office or at the lab, but it was a blessing whenever they did some work at home.

Things aren't what they used to be anymore.

I shook the memories away and snapped back to reality.

With a sigh, I tied the apron around my waist; I was ready to tackle another work day at Patisserie Amie.

* * *

"Great job, you two. This is one of our best days yet," our boss patted our shoulders with a grin.

I smiled.

Most of the displays that were filled with delectable looking pastries and cakes were almost empty. All that was left were a couple custard tarts and some petit fours.

"Yeah we did," Kyle boasted. We high five each other. He chuckled before walking off towards the backroom. "So, since tomorrow is closing early, you want to help me create something?"

My eyes widened. An opportunity to make a new dessert for the bakery and learn from one of the pastry chefs? Woah. I've only known the guy for a week and he's already asking me this?

I'm speechless.

He raised a brow at me as he hung up his apron, waiting for an answer. "Well?"

"Hmm... I don't know... Work or stay at home?" I weighed both hands while putting on my thinking face. He pushed my forehead with his finger. "Hey! I was just kidding," he chuckled before ruffling my hair.

I pouted and smoothed my hair down, trying to get rid of the ruffled evidence.

"You better be. 5:30 okay? And don't forget!" He pointed at me before leaving.

Exiting the backroom, I bumped into one of my coworkers, Emily. We both gasped as she almost dropping the ceramic mugs.

"Sorry Emily! I didn't see you there," she placed the tray on the counter.

"It's all right. No harm, no foul," she waved off and started on another coffee order. "So, are you heading off now?" I laughed and shook my head.

"Nah, boss wants me to help you out since Martin called in sick today. I'll be here until closing," I answered, grabbing a pen and notepad. She sighed in relief.

"Oh! That's great! I've been running around like a headless chicken to get these orders in," I gave her a look of disbelief.

I chuckled. "You and your dramatics. Are you sure you don't want to pursue in acting?"

She sighed. "Fine, don't believe me," she said, letting it go. She placed the cappuccinos on the tray before turning back to me. "By the way, I need you to cover the outdoor seating area and whoever decides to dine out there. I have to take care of the other customers in here."

"Okay. Be careful with those. Don't want you to scald yourself," I helped her open the door that led to the restaurant area. She gave me a thankful smile and lifted the tray filled with six cappuccinos, making her way towards the designated table.

"Hey, Megan!" I exited and saw Jared call me. "There's a customer outside. Go get his order," I nodded and made my way outside.

I pulled out my notepad and pen to prep myself as I stopped in front of the table. "Hello, my name is Megan and I will be your server today," I greeted with a smile. The man glanced up towards me and my eyes widened slightly. His sharp blue eyes pierced through mine. I blinked a couple times to gain my composure. "What would you like to drink?"

"I would like a coffee, please," I wrote it down and nodded.

"All right. I will be back with your drink in just a moment," he nodded with a smile.

I turned and walked off. My cheeks burned at the obviousness of my staring. At least I didn't stutter or trip over my own two feet.

"Em, I need a coffee," I said. She nodded and prepped the drink. Placing the coffee beans in a grinder, she ground them and added the ground coffee on the center of the filter that was placed above the ceramic mug. She slowly poured the steaming water over the coffee grounds into the mug. Carefully folding the filter, she disposed the wet coffee grounds. Emily placed the coffee in front of me and scrutinized my appearance.

"Why do you look so flush? Are you coming down with something?" She groaned and slapped a hand on her forehead, eyes snapped shut. "Don't tell me you spoke with Martin yesterday. That man has been a walking hazard! Coughing and everything! I had to tell Mr. Somerfield to send him home,"

"No, it's not Martin. It's the customer I'm serving. Anyways, I got to get this to him before it gets cold," I placed the cup on the tray and made my way back.

Okay. Just breathe. He's just a regular person that wants to have some coffee and food. I placed the ceramic mug in front of him. "Here you go. One black coffee," He looked up from the menu and gave a small smile.

"Thank you, ma'am," He is polite also? You never hear that nowadays.

I smiled. "Are you ready to order or would you like a few minutes?"

"Uh.. Well.. What would you recommend?" He asked, turning his gaze to me. "This is the first time I am trying French food so I'm not exactly sure what is good."

"Well, what are you in the mood for? Something savory? Something sweet? Maybe since it's your first time having French, how about something that's a mixture of home and France," I glimpsed at the menu and pointed to a few options. "I'd recommend one of these sandwiches. The bistro burger is pretty good. It has an all-beef patty, raclette; it's a cheese that has a very nutty, slightly acidic, aromatic and similar to Gruyere flavor, bacon and a fried egg on top."

He looked a bit overwhelmed with my explanation of the choice. My face turned a deep shade of red and I averted my gaze. "It sounds great. I'll have that please,"

I grinned and wrote it down. "One bistro burger coming up," I nodded and walked off towards the kitchen.

As soon as I strode through the swinging door, a hand gripped my elbow. I gasped in surprise, but found the culprit. "Geez Em! If you needed something, you could have just said so instead of scaring me," I stated, clipping the order slip to the order wheel.

"Sorry! Sorry. I just… I need to talk to you about that hunk of a customer you're serving," she gushed. "I am so jealous of you! It's not every day a man like that has walked through these doors without a date. I should have just told you to go home if I had an inkling this would happen!"

Emily picked up the tray and scurried off to deliver the drinks before coming back. "When I saw you walk back to bring him his coffee, I was speechless! He is just.. wow," she had a glassy look in her eyes. I snapped my fingers in front of her face. Her eyes widened as she cleared her throat, retaining her composure. "Blue eyed, blonde, rippling muscles that are just waiting to tear through that shirt..,"

"Don't daze off again," I jokingly warned.

"You should talk to him some more. It will spice up your love life that you desperately need," she started me to shove me towards the main room. Swatting her hands away, I turned and gave her an incredulous look.

"A love life I desperately need? What's that supposed to mean?" She rolled her eyes at me.

"Exactly what it means," she replied and pushed me out. I slightly stumbled as I was pushed out by the tall woman.

I made my way back out to the outdoor area. A table of four elderly men sat down, looking at the menu.

Taking my pen and pad out, I stopped in front of the table with a smile. "Hello gentlemen. How are you all doing today?"

"Good, good. Thank you," the man with the sunglasses answered a bit distracted from looking at the menu.

"That's great. So, what would you all like to drink?" A chorus of "water" rang out. "Okay. I will be back with your drinks."  
I walked back to my other customer.

He had a pen in his hand. Possibly writing or doodling. Was he a critic or something? I guess I stared too long because he lifted his gaze from what was in front of him towards my direction. My eyes widened at being caught.

"Sorry. It's a really good sketch," I admitted sheepishly. He smiled. I examined the rough outline of a building. "Is that the Woolworth building?"

"It is," he confirmed.

"This is amazing."

"Thank you ma'am," I tore my gaze away from the picture.

"Of course. Is there anything else I can get you?" I asked. He glanced at his cup.

"Another cup of coffee would be great," I nodded and grab his cup.

Making my way back to the kitchen, I was stopped by Emily again.

"Megan, since it's half hour until close, I got Jared to cover the gentlemen out on outdoor seating since he was just loitering around,"  
She informed me as she made another coffee.

I grabbed the bistro burger the man ordered before looking back at her in confusion.

"Wait a minute. I thought Jared was the bus boy?" I two weeks I have worked here so far, I always saw him cleaning after customers once they left.

Em just shrugged. "Boss promoted him to waiter."

I squint my eyes at her not fully believing what she is telling me.

"Hmm..," I placed the burger and coffee on the tray, making my way back outside. Before I stepped outside, I called Jared. "Thanks for covering the party of four for me," He shot me a look of uncertainty.

"But, I'm n-" He stopped suddenly and pointed at himself. I turned my head and see Emily wildly gesturing something. Before I can inquire more, he strode off toward her.

Brushing it off with a shake of my head, I made my way outside.

"One bistro burger for the gentleman," Heat rose to my cheeks after my statement. Did I really say that just now? I am such an idiot.

He looked up from his sketch and smiled. He placed the sketch book aside to make room. I smiled, setting down the burger with a side of french fries and his coffee.

"Wow. This looks huge," he pointed out with a slight chuckle. He eyed the burger and marveled at how large it was. I faintly giggled. It's like he's never had a burger with all the fixings.

"Yeah. Well, we love to see customers leave satisfied and full," I told. "Would you like anything else?"

"Um, no. I think this is all I need. Thank you, ma'am," he answered.

"You're welcome. Enjoy your meal, sir."

* * *

So, it turns out that Em lied about Jared being promoted. I was relieved he told me of this when I entered the restaurant again. It would have been worse if he didn't tell me and the table of gentlemen being fairly angry if they weren't served. Even though Jared told me, he still helped serve the gentlemen. I wonder what Em said to him that made him do it. I should ask her later.

I made my way back outside and placed the check next to the empty plate on the table. "So, how was everything? Hopefully to your liking?"

The man smiled up. "It was pretty good, ma'am."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Maybe next time, you'll try the crepes? They're absolutely delicious," I suggested with a small smile. I'm guessing he didn't know what crepes were, but none the less, he nodded.

"I guess I will," he agreed and placed the money on the tab. I placed the tab in one of the apron's pockets and picked up his plate.

"I'll be back with your change," I scurried back inside. I dropped the plate in the back and made my way to the register. Ringing up his bill, I grabbed the change.

After double checking if it is the right amount, I strode back out. "Here is your change and have a great day, sir," I set the tab that held his change on the table.

"Thank you," I simply smiled and went back inside.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello everyone! Sorry this chapter is late! I came up with a lot of ideas and had a hard time choosing one. Also, I wanted to be a bit more detailed when writing since someone requested for more detail. I hope this chapter makes up for my tardiness!**

 **So how did you all like it? Was it detailed enough? Or should I add more? Any suggestions? Please let me know what you think in the comments (:**

 **I bet you're all wondering who this customer that made Megan speechless is. Hehe. It will all be revealed next time!**

 **Also, we saw a glimpse of her past. This is just the beginning.**

 **Thank you all for taking time to read this!**

 **Hope you all have a good week!  
**

 **Until next time!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	12. Chapter 12

This was the perfect place to think. A light sound of chatter and the trickle of heartwarming laughter. The bell occasionally chimed, signalling another customer. Fresh, roasted coffee filled the air, creating a bitter yet sweet aroma, along with the fragrant scent of fresh baked buttery croissants.

Patisserie Amie was just as busy as it was the day previous. Almost packed in fact. It was a miracle I found a seat out on the patio. Taking off my bag, I slung it on the chair before sitting down. Pulling out my copy of _The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring_ , I flipped through the pages and arrived at the page I left off. I read each line carefully, absorbing each descriptive detail that littered the page. Thankfully, I left off at my favorite part: Frodo wakes up and finds himself in Rivendell.

"Isn't it your day off today?" I placed my thumb on the spot I stopped on, looked up and grinned.

"Nice to see you too, Em," I joked. She chuckled with a tiny smile, balancing a tray in one hand and the other on her hip.

"So what will it be then? I'm guessing the usual?" She questioned, not needing to write down what I want.

"You know me so well," she lightly shoved my shoulder before going off to prep my drink. I dropped my gaze back to the novel and continued on reading.

* * *

"Excuse me, ma'am."

Blinking, I looked up from the page. My eyes widened and I felt some blood rush to my cheeks. Oh crap. It's the guy from yesterday. His attire seemed the same as the day before. A blue and white gingham shirt underneath his brown leather jacket accompanied with corduroy pants and dark brown chukka shoes.

I timidly smiled when I met his eyes.

"Uh, I was just wondering if this seat is available," the man asked, one hand scratched the nape of his neck and the other held something. Perhaps it was a notebook he was holding?

"Oh, um, it's open," I replied, trying to not stammer. I gestured for him to have a seat. He gave a slight smile before taking the seat across from me. It was quiet after, almost suffocating. I picked my book back up and read where I left off.

The troubling thing was that I just could not seem to focus on the page. My eyes kept flitting back to the man that sat before me. With a small exhale, I glued my eyes to the novel. Concentrate Megan. Just keep on reading. This is your favorite part. Just because some eye candy takes a seat across from you does not mean you can stare and be a creep.

As I turned to the next page, I felt his gaze burning my form. Glancing up, he immediately looked down at his notebook. I chuckled lightly, placed my Gimli bookmark on the page I was on and set my book down. His eyes were glued to the pad as he lightly ran the pen across the paper.

"What are you drawing?" I asked, breaking the silence which we probably were both thankful for. His pen stopped scratching the paper. He looked at me, seeing my curious expression.

"This?" He slid it towards me. I smiled, rotating it to face me. "Just finishing the sketch from yesterday,"

Indeed, it was the same drawing from yesterday. The neo-Gothic style really stood out from the page from the way he sketched and shaded the Woolworth Building. The building's tower, flush with the main frontage on Broadway, joins an office block base with a narrow interior court.

The exterior decoration was cast in lighter shading that shaped the architectural terra-cotta panels. The Gothic detailing concentrated at the highly visible crown of the building.

This was way beyond a sketch. It's almost as if I was actually looking at it.

"This is beautiful," I praised, scanning the picture with a smile. "You have a real talent," he smiled bashfully at my praise. I slid the drawing back to him.

"Thank you, ma'am,"

"Megan," he gave me a confused look. My cheeks flared a bit as I played with my hands that were placed on my lap. "That's my name."

"Oh, right," his cheeks had a faint blush in them. "I'm Steve."

"Pleasure to meet you, Steve," I greeted with a petite hand outstretched.

"Likewise," he responded, placing his hand in mine as we shook hands. His hand held a firm grip, but somehow, I knew that he loosened his grip so he wouldn't crush mine. I felt heat creep up my face. I smiled. A few seconds later, we let go and resorted to silence yet again. Thankfully, a familiar brunette scurried by.

"Sorry it took so long, Megan. There's just so many customers today. Martin called off again today due to his cold so we are a bit understaffed," Em stated as she placed the steaming mug in front of me. I smiled appreciatively.

"Thanks, Em," she nodded and turned to the person across from me. She raised her brows and looked back towards me with a sly grin gracing her features, making it seem like she's the Cheshire cat.

"Hello, sir. What would you like to order?" She asked, pen poised between her fingers and ready to write down what Steve wanted.

"I'll just have a black coffee, thank you," she wrote it down with a nod. Placing it in her apron pocket, she looked back at him with a toothy smile. I stifled my giggles at her obvious staring. The time I have worked here, I have never seen the woman smile that big for a customer. She practically had stars in her eyes. It was borderline creepy.

"Okay. I just, um, go and grab that," Em replied, jabbing a thumb behind her. She walked off before shooting me a wink. I mentally slapped myself at her action. Oh man. Hopefully he didn't see that. That wink was just too obvious. And here, I thought Emily was slick.

Taking in the delicious scent of freshly roasted coffee, I blew the contents lightly before taking a tentative sip from the mug. Hot, cozy, and rich. Just right.

Placing the mug back down, I picked up my book again and began where I left off.

"So," I looked ahead again. "What are you reading?" He asked, initiating the conversation. I blinked before placing the bookmark inside and sliding the novel toward him. He picked up the paperback, examining the cover.

" _The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring_ , one of the first books in the trilogy. This has been my personal favorite since I was a child," I felt a tiny smile form, remembering the fond memories of my father reading it to me before bed. "My father would always read it to me before bed when I was younger. He would always have some silly voices for each character. A gruff voice for the dwarf and a lighter, airy voice for an elf," I chuckled slightly, remembering those ridiculous voices. "I know it's not an ideal children's book and most children would not understand the contents of this. The fantasy, adventure always pulled me in. The concept of hobbits, dwarves, elves, and orcs were just... riveting," I trailed off, realizing that I was rambling. Heat rose to my cheeks as I awkwardly cleared my throat. Steve looked at me in intrigue and befuddlement from my mini monologue. "Sorry. I didn't mean to ramble on like that..,"

"No, no. No need to apologize. It's nice to hear someone talk about something they are interested in. And it all sounds fascinating," he stated, sliding the book back to me.

"Have you read any of Tolkien's works?" I asked nonchalantly, sipping my warm coffee. He sat back on his chair with his arms crossed.

"I don't think I have," he answered after a brief moment.

Darn. And here I was hoping to have another deep conversations about Tolkien's books. Someone other than Tony Stark… and he just watched the films, saying that he doesn't have the time to read. I scoffed when he told me that on one of our random talks while waiting on Pepper. Don't get me wrong. The movies were absolutely amazing, but reading just feels like you're being swept away into an entirely different world. There is always time to read.

"Oh. Well," I thought for a moment as my eyes trailed across the cover of _The Fellowship of the Ring_. An idea just popped in my head. I slid the book back towards him. "You can borrow mine if you want. It's the first of the trilogy. Unless, you want to start from where it all began with _The Hobbit_. It may help connect the pieces on how things came to be," I'm rambling again. Curse me and my nerdy fangirl nature.

"Are you sure that it is all right?" He asked. I nodded with a sheepish smile. "Thank you," he glanced at the cover again with a grin. "How will I give it back to you?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Maybe the next time you try the crepes?" I recalled from the previous day. He chuckled. I'm assuming because he remembers our conversation. I beamed as he nodded his head.

* * *

"Hey Megan," a hand patted my shoulder. I looked up.

"Hi Kyle," I glanced at my watch, a bit confused. It was only five o'clock. "You're here early," I noted, glancing back up at him..

"Yeah. Thought we could start early. Never know how long creating something would take," Kyle replied. Dang. I looked back to the man across from me. I was hoping to talk to this man more. He already had a glimpse of what my interests were and I had no idea about his except sketching.

"Kyle, I want you to meet Steve. Steve, this is Kyle," I introduced. Steve and Kyle shook hands with a bit of tense greeting. Oh boy...

"I guess duty calls," I stood up from my chair. "I guess I will see you later?" I asked Steve. He smiled and nodded.

"Of course," I beamed at his response and waved as Kyle led me to the kitchen.

* * *

"I think that Steve guy has a staring problem," Kyle bluntly stated. I looked up after wringing out my hands of the excess water droplets from washing my hands. Ripping a piece of paper towel, I raised a brow at him as I dried my hands.

"What do you mean?" I asked, throwing away the paper towel into the trash can. He gave me a look.

"That guy has been eyeing you ever since we came back here," I raised a brow and giggled quietly.

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" I asked Kyle with a smirk. He gave me a bewildered look.

"Me?" He pointed to himself. "You think I'm jealous? Why would I be jealous of that guy?" I tapped my chin while thinking.

"Well," I started. "He has these huge muscles. I mean, you can see them strain against the sleeves of his jacket. I bet if he flexed, those leather sleeves will be torn to shreds," I playfully exaggerated with a crooning sigh. "And that smile. A whole city can run on that. Did I ment-" a hand was slapped over my mouth, cutting me off.

I narrowed my eyes and glared at the man next to me before pushing his hand away.

"I was just joking around. No need to get violent," I stated with a frown. I looked at the recipe that laid on the steel counter-top. I raised a brow. "A croquembouche?" I asked, confused. "I thought I was helping you create a new dessert idea?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "Well, boss man said that he needs a croquembouche made before 7 tonight. Apparently, someone is throwing a reception party and they requested for this," he answered. I inaudibly sighed, feeling slightly down. He patted my shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll create something new for another time. For now, we have to get started on this croquembouche."

I was hoping to see if I was able to add any input while we made a new treat for the restaurant. Well, there will always be a next time. I nodded at him as I gathered the utensils we will be needing while he grabbed the necessary ingredients.

Placing the ingredients on the counter, he quickly tied on his apron and I followed suit as he washed his hands.

His stare was intent on me when I finished tying back the apron. He looked away and cleared his throat. "So, shall we get started?"

* * *

We finished the wedding cake in the nick of time. That French wedding cake was challenging in very different ways from the wedding cakes we know. It's made entirely of cream-filled puff pastries, stacked, and then decorated with caramel and spun sugar.

The kitchen was a mess once we completed it. It looked beautifully done. Perfectly stacked like a dessert pyramid. I was very tempted to try it, but I knew I couldn't do that.

Once the person came by and picked up their order, we cleaned up the kitchen area.

I felt pretty accomplished. This was the first time I made something difficult as that. It made me happy that I didn't make any mistakes.

It was half past seven when Kyle and I parted ways.

* * *

I lightly hummed on the way back home. The streets were not as crowded since it was nighttime.

This was a great day. I got to see the man from yesterday, found out his name is Steve, and successfully made a croquembouche alongside an experienced patissier. Words could not express how I felt at the moment.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my hand which broke my train of thought.

"Hello?" I answered, not bothering to look at the caller I.D. There wasn't many people that had my phone number anyways.

"Megan, we need you down at base. I'll be at your place in ten," Maria stated.

"Okay, I am almost home,"

"I'll be there in five," the call ended. Slipping my phone inside my bag, I picked up my pace to reach home in time. I do not want to face the wrath of Maria Hill.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello, hello lovelies! Sorry this came out a tad late. This week has been midterms and it was dreadful! I finally had time to write since it's the weekend!**

 **How did you guys like this chapter? Good? Bad? Drop a review and let me know.  
**

 **It was a bit difficult writing fillers. I kept going back and forth on some things. Hopefully, this wasn't too boring.  
**

 **If you are a person that isn't into fillers, don't worry! There will probably be a chapter or two left of fillers and we will progress to the bigger stuff.**

 **Anyways, the mystery man was Steve! Woo! We meet him for the second time. Also, for those of you who guessed right gets a cookie! \^.^/**

 **When I was describing what he wore, I based it off on what he wore in The Avengers. It took a while to find those clothing terms.**

 **Maria has phone Megan in. That means something is going down.**

 **We will find out for what is in store next time!**

 **See you all later!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	13. Chapter 13

"Why do you have that with you?" He asked, his booming voice echoing down the hall. I strode down the long corridor behind Maria and greeted Fury with a grin. He stood in his usual attire, hands behind his back with a deep scowl on his face.

"Hi Nick. I'm doing great! Thanks for asking. How about you?" I sarcastically greeted. He rolled his visible eye at me before eyeing Fenris.

Fenris growled at him, his back arched and was ready to attack. Fury leered down at him.

Even though he was still a little tyke, he's been so protective over me. Whoever came over, whether it's Clint, Natasha, or Phil, Fenris would immediately go in defense mode and stick close by me. He was ready to pounce at any given moment.

I patted his head, which calmed him down. He gave one last hiss at Fury before relaxing his posture. Clearly, he still doesn't trust Fury as he kept an eye on him.

"And I brought him with me because he needs to go out more. See the world and not be holed up at home. I don't think anyone likes being stuck at home all the time," Fury sighed before walking ahead. I'll take that as permission to follow after him. Fenris followed beside me. He seems happy to finally be out of the house. It almost seemed as if he had a little spring in his step.

I chuckled to myself before facing forward.

We strode through the endless corridor and arrived at an elevator once we reached the end.

The steel doors slid open.

Fury stepped through first, along with Maria.

Scooping Fenris into my arms, I followed suit.

"Megan Lu does not have clearance to lower levels," a feminine robotic voice rang.

"Director override. Nicholas J.," he commanded. A beep sounded. The doors slid shut.

I raised a brow at this before turning towards Fury. The lower levels? It was quiet on the way down.

"Why are we all going down to the lower levels?" He just stared at the stainless steel in front of him, hands positioned behind his back. I rolled my eyes and leaned back against the cool wall.

"You'll see," was all he said. Idly, I scratched behind Fenris' ear, hearing a purr. He twisted his head up and lightly nipped my finger. I retracted my finger, pointing at his face.

"What did I say about teeth?" I asked the furry creature in my arms with a stern tone. He just looked up at me with innocent eyes. I rolled my eyes and sighed with a slight smile. Oh gosh, I seem like a mother scolding her son for a nonsensical reason.

The doors slid open, which revealed an endless corridor that reminded me of a bomb shelter. There were only a few lights that lined along the wall and some miscellaneous equipment, making the appearance of the hall dim and somewhat crowded.

"Hill, tell them to bring it out," she nodded and walked over to the people further down. I held Fenris close as he squirmed in my grasp and ran my fingers through his fur. He purred in delight as he stopped moving.

Fury stepped forward and stood in front a steel table.

It was quiet until a man appeared around from the corner with something in his hand.

A metal briefcase was set on the table top. All of a sudden, the corridor felt a bit colder. A feeling of unease washed over me as I looked at it. Something does not feel right.

I looked back up at Fury, but he just kept his gaze glued down the walkway. A man appeared at the end of the corridor.

"Doctor Selvig," he called. The man snapped his head toward us and stepped forward.

"So, you're the man behind all this? It's quite a labyrinth. I was thinking, they're taking me down here to kill me," Selvig voiced with an uneasy chuckle. I was thinking the same thing. Fury met Selvig half way and stood in front of him with a sober expression.

"I've been hearing about the New Mexico situation. Your work has impressed a lot of people who are much smarter than I am."

New Mexico situation? What happened? Clint and Coulson were deployed there earlier. Maybe I could ask next time I see them.

"I have a lot to work with. The Forster theory, a gate to another dimension. It's unprecedented," Selvig paused. "Isn't it?"

"Legend tells us one thing, history another. But every now and then, we find something that belongs to both," Fury unlatched the briefcase, revealing a glowing blue cube. I raised a brow and looked between Fury and Selvig. What is that?

Fenris hissed all of a sudden at the object. He must feel whatever was seeping out of that thing. And it was not something that should be tampered with.

"What is it?" He questioned, looking at it in wonder and curiosity.

"Power, doctor," answered Fury with a smile. "If we can figure out how to tap it, maybe unlimited power."

All of a sudden, it felt as if another presence was with us, but only the three of us were in this corridor. My eyes scanned the hall.

Was I the only one feeling that we were being watched? I glanced back at Fury and Selvig to see that both of them were immersed with the cube.

"Well, I guess that's worth a look," someone whispered smugly. My eyes widened as I scanned the premise again, but couldn't find another face. It sounded like it was coming from where Selvig was standing. What the hell?

"Well, I guess that's worth a look," repeated Selvig with a grin.

* * *

After Fury conversed with Selvig on what he was to do with the Tesseract, Selvig left with Maria. I pursed my lips, my mind reeling on the eerie voice that I heard earlier. Placing Fenris back on the ground, I glanced at the glowing cube.

I squinted and saw tendrils of electricity run through it. It also contained something else within it.

Everything else seemed to fade away except the Tesseract. My hand raised itself, inching closer to the potential danger. As soon as my fingers almost grazed it, the briefcase slammed shut.

Pulling back, I blinked and shook my head.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you, Megan," I peered up at Fury's stern expression.

"Sorry. I was not sure what just happened there," I muttered and took a couple steps away from it. That was strange. It was almost as if someone wanted me to touch it. "Hey Fury. Do you think that I could do something with it since it holds electrical currents? Is that why you brought me here?"

He passed the case to one of the agents to lock it away for the time being before looking back at me.

"No. That is not the reason why I brought you here," Fury answered. He motioned for me to follow after him. Looking around the ground, I found Fenris curled against the leg of the table. I laughed lightly before scooping him up again and followed Fury. "The Tesseract does not run on electricity. It runs on something entirely different. Something that we do not completely know yet. That is the reason why we called Selvig in so he can look more into it."

I nodded in understanding. Even if Selvig figured some of the components of the cube, I feel that none of us will fully understand its capabilities. It just seemed too unnatural to be from Earth.

"You still haven't answered my question," I pointed out. He let out an exasperated sigh.

"I was getting to that," We entered the elevator. Fury stated the floor we needed to be on as the steel doors slid shut. "I brought you here because I want you to keep an eye on operations that happen at the lab alongside Agent Barton."

"What?" I asked incredulously. I gave Fury a look as if he were crazy.

"Is there a problem?" Fury turned toward me with a brow raised.

"Why would you assign me to a case such as this? If I recall correctly, I have not agreed to become an agent for S.H.I.E.L.D. Also, you said that the cube and I have no direct correlation with each other," I reminded him.

"I remember that, but you did agree to be a member of the Avengers Initiative," he answered. "I need someone I can trust on this. If anything goes haywire, I need another person to watch out for potential threats. This research on the Tesseract is potentially dangerous. Who knows. We might need that shield of yours," he reasoned, narrowing his gaze at my face. I didn't bat an eyelash.

"Shield? What shield?" I questioned. My mind reeled back to those crazy Hammer droids and the explosion.

"You know exactly what I am talking about. There was recorded evidence from security cameras outside of the Expo." I groaned.

"I don't think I have it under control yet. You saw what resulted after I used it. I was not even aware that I could do something like that," I revealed. The elevator doors slid open and we both stepped though.

"I need you in on this. It is just a precaution in case if things get out of hand," he stated. "Agent Coulson," he called. Said man turned towards us.

"Yes sir?"

"Please escort Miss Lu back to her apartment," Phil nodded and motioned me to follow him out. Should I tell Fury what I heard while he and Selvig discussed about the cube?

Before I accompanied Phil, I turned back to Fury.

"I have no say in this, do I?" I queried. He shook his head. I sighed. "Fine. Just tell me the details beforehand so I can call off work," Fury cracked a small smile.

"Have a good night, Megan," He turned and walked off. I turned towards Phil as we headed out.

"He just can't take no for an answer," I grumbled as we strode out of the building. A black SUV was parked in front of base. Opening the door, I slid into the passenger's seat and settled Fenris on to my lap.

"That's one of the reasons why he's the director," Phil voiced with a slight chuckle and drove off.

* * *

"It's been quite some time since we last talked," Phil mentioned once we drove out of base toward my apartment. "How have you been? Still working at Stark Industries?"

"I've been pretty okay. The nightmares are not showing up as frequently," I stroked Fenris' fur as he slept on my lap. "And I quit working there. Too much stress, especially if Iron Man is involved."

My mind reeled back to those few months of employment as Pepper's assistant. That Vanko guy trying to execute us, especially Tony, and Justin Hammer with his droids.

Although I risked my life on more than one occasion while I was employed, there were a few positives. My powers can be pushed to a further extent, but I just need to know the trigger and hopefully learn how to utilize it in other dire situations.

"Yeah. Stark can be a handful," I nodded in agreement. "I thought that since Pepper took over, things would simmer down. So, you just staying at home now? Meet anyone new? Any boys I should know about?" I stared at Phil in shock.

"Did you really just say that? 'Any boys I should know about?' Seriously?" I asked baffled at his last question. He gave me a serious look that I couldn't help but chuckle at. "No need to go into dad mode, Phil," I joked with a smile.

"I'm just trying to keep an eye out on you. It's been months since I last spoke to you. I have every right to pry into your personal life." I just ignored his last statement.

"Anyways, to answer your other questions, I work at this French Restaurant on 8th Avenue and West 135th Street. It's called Patisserie Amie. I usually work at the bakery, but sometimes I waitress when it's busy. I met a few people at work," I paused for a moment before a sudden thought popped in my head and I couldn't help but smirk.

Pay back time.

"Anytime you're free and not off saving the world from who know what, you should come by sometime. The food is fantastic and the coffee is great. I'll even throw in a few free pastries for you and your cellist friend," I nonchalantly answered before turning my head toward him.

Let me just say that Phil looks hilarious when he's speechless. His eyes all wide and it looked as if he turned into a statue. You can't even tell if he is breathing or not. Reminds me of a lemur.

"How do you know about Audrey?" He asked, bemused. Gotcha.

"Oh. So the cellist has a name? Audrey was it? Lovely name," I commented, gazing out on the road. The street we were driving down appeared deserted. I glanced at the clock.

 _9:52 P.M._

Wow. I've been gone for three hours? Where did the time go?

"Let me guess, Barton told you," I felt his gaze on the side of my face. I ignored it and focused on Fenris. Phil sighed. "Can't trust Barton with secrets," he muttered under his breath.

"Enough about me. I want to hear what's been going on with you. Everytime we talk, it's always about my problems. Now, it's your turn," I turned my head toward him, giving him my full, undivided attention. "Let's start with this mysterious cellist of yours."

His cheeks started to flush a bit. "Her name is Audrey Nathan," he started to form a little goofy smile on his face. "She is the the second chair of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Director Fury sent me on a mission to stop a man named Marcus Daniels. He's like you in a way: not like everybody else. He has energy absorbing abilities. He stalked Audrey and I saved her from him," He said, cutting to the chase.

"Wow. Saving damsels in distress from the bad guys. If you keep this up, you can be your very own Captain America," I teased. He laughed at that.

"After that, we started to date. Whenever I was in Portland, I would always watch her play. You ever seen such a beautiful woman play the cello? It's something else," he trailed off, the smile on his face indicated he was thinking of all those times he listened to her play. I felt myself smiling also.

"I'm happy for you, Phil," I patted his shoulder as he looked at me. "You deserve every happiness. I'm so glad that you met someone."

He nodded his head and turned back towards the road with the same smile. "Me too, Megan. Me too."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Ah. I just love writing heart to heart moments. Sorry there was no Steve in this chapter. He'll come around again soon.  
**

 **With the way I am planning this out, there might be 1 or 2 filler chapters left before we shoot off towards the Avengers! Excited? Because I am!  
**

 **What did you guys think about this chapter? She could hear the all knowing trickster and Fury knows about what happened at the Expo. Megan also had a nice, heartwarming conversation with Phil on his love life. Sadly, I didn't watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. yet (don't shoot me!) I had to search up on Audrey and it was very vague on how they met. I hope I did some justice to Phil's story telling. If not, I'm sorry!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Was it good or bad? Am I being descriptive enough yet? I feel like I always need to add more..**

 **Please leave a review and tell me how I am doing. Constructive criticism and compliments are welcome!**

 **Hope you all have a good week!**

 **Until next time!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	14. Chapter 14

"It's times like these that I wish I had a car," I muttered under my breath while juggling three large paper bags filled with groceries. The busy sidewalk filled with pedestrians didn't help much either. I would have called a cab, but it was rush hour and traffic was not going anywhere for a while.

Just a few more minutes until I'm home. I blew the hair away from my face as I trudged my way back.

Ever since I started to work again, I haven't had the chance to do any shopping. With all of those near death experiences, simple things like this slipped from my mind. I finally noticed when my fridge was mostly bare, save for the less than quarter gallon of spoiled milk and some rancid leftovers that were meant to be thrown out ages ago.

When Fury called me in the night before, I couldn't stop thinking about that voice. I was not sure if it was an actual voice or I was going crazy. I like to think it was the former.

A loud rip snapped me from my thoughts. I gasped as the bottom of one of the bags ripped. The plastic gallon of milk fell through first, bursting open upon impact. The cool milk splashed on my feet and traveled down the sidewalk. Good thing I didn't wear open toe shoes.

The eggs followed suit and cracked on the pavement due to the impact. The yolks converging with the running milk. The loaves of bread bounced slightly when they fell through and landed in the small milk puddle. At least the damage wasn't severe unlike the other items.

I dropped my head in defeat and sighed. Is this what I get for trying to save the planet? For choosing paper over plastic? Today is not my day.

People who walked by scurried more towards the right side to avoid the mess around me.

Placing the bags that were still intact on an unoccupied bench and disposing the torn one, I crouched down and started to place the loaves in the other bag.

Grabbing a tissue out of my purse, I started to pick the eggshells. Don't want to have salmonella. That would be bad. Placing the carton next to me, I proceeded to place the cracked shells on it.

"Here. Let me help you with that," I quietly let out a sigh of relief. I gingerly picked up the crack shells and placed them in the broken carton.

"Thank you so much. I appreciate the help," I responded.

Gathering the last of the broken eggshells, I picked up the carton and stood up.

Looking in front of me, my eyes widened slightly in surprise at the familiar person in front of me.

He grabbed the milk carton off the ground. "Steve?" He looked up and smiled. I knew I recognized him.

"Hello, Ma'am," he greeted, the smile still present on his face.

"Hi," I greeted back with a sheepish smile. He took the carton from my hands and disposed of the damaged goods in a nearby trash can. "Thanks for helping me with that."

"Not a problem. I wouldn't leave a dame who needs assistance," I raised a brow at his choice of words. He must have seen the look on my face because his face flushed a bit. "I-I mean I wouldn't leave a woman like you to you know... clean all this up by herself..."

I grinned at his slight stammer before I arched my brow. Let's see how far this can go. "A woman like me?" I deadpanned.

The flush turned scarlet out of sheer embarrassment. "W-what I mean to say is.." He turned his gaze toward the pavement, thinking over on what he just said.

I shouldn't be so mean to him since he helped me out, but I just couldn't stop myself. The opportunity presented itself and I took it. So sue me.

I giggled at him being flustered. "I'm just kidding. I know what you meant. No need to explain any further," He glanced back at me, his cheeks tinged pink. I just smiled up at him. "So, what are you up to?" I asked, breaking the brief silence. I lifted the two remaining bags from the bench, making sure to have one of my arms supporting the bottom of them.

"Oh. Just walking around the area. Trying to familiarize myself," he replied.

"Really? That sounds fun. Are you new in town?" I recall doing the same thing a couple months ago. New York can be a bit overwhelming.

"You could say that..," he trailed off before noticing the bags in my arms. "Here, let me help you with that," he made a grab for both of them.

"Oh no. It's fine. I can handle it two bags," I tried to take them back, but he started to walk off.

"Hey! Wait up!" I strode after him. He looked back at me. I sighed. "I got it, Steve," I tried to grab the bags from him, but he just kept moving forward.

"Earlier, you were struggling with all three," he pointed out. I blinked at him.

"That's because the person who put my stuff in the bags put all the heavy items in the last one," I countered, trying to keep stride with him. I sighed when he didn't say anything. Even though he's being a gentleman, he sure is persistent. "At least let me carry one. They're my groceries anyway."

He suddenly stopped, dodging a person walking their dog. While he was distracted, I snatched the bag cradled in his left arm. I smiled smugly at his shocked expression.

He made a move to take it back, but I turned around.

"Come on, Steve. I can't just let you carry my stuff. I'm a strong, independent woman," I reasoned. Not one of my strongest reasons. He raised a brow. I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Well, you can scratch out the strong part I guess..." I mumbled, hugging the bag close to me. "And they're my groceries anyway. It doesn't make much sense if you carry both of them."

He sighed. "Fine, you can carry one of them,"

"How about both?" I bargained, reaching out to pluck the other bag from his other arm. He quickly veered to the right.

"Don't push it," he joked as he strode off. I laughed. This situation is so strange, but laughable. Why is this man so adamant on helping me carry my groceries?

Watching him walk ahead, I noticed something was wrong and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Steve!" I called. He turned his head back. "My apartment is this way!" I jabbed my thumb behind me, the total opposite direction of where he was heading. Let's just say that his face can rival a tomato.

* * *

The streets were still bustling with people and traffic was going nowhere at the rate it was going. Steve and I huddled close to not lose each other in this swarm.

"So," my voice rang out, breaking the uncomfortable silence as I led us back toward my apartment. "How was exploring the city? See anything interesting?" I asked nonchalantly, peering up at the man beside me.

"I saw some things. A lot has changed," he said.

"You have been to New York before?"

"Yeah. It's been a long time since I've been here."

"I'm sure a couple things must be familiar. Like..," I thought back to the sketch he had. "That building you drew. The Woolworth building. Also, there's this place that has some delicious pizza called Lombardi's. I'm pretty sure many people that live here have visited that place at least once. It may be a bit more than a century old, but the pies are still on point and the clam pie in particular always delivers," I informed.

"I've been there before. They do have some good pies there," he agreed with a grin.

"Other places must be familiar. Maybe they moved locations or ran out of business. It's hard keeping a business up in a place like this."

"Yeah. That must be it."

"Maybe if you search it up on the Internet, it might pop up? Or you could ask around? I'm sure some people would have an inkling," my steps faltered as we came across an apartment complex. I'm guessing that he noticed I wasn't astride with him since he backtracked toward me.

"Is this your stop?" Steve asked, nodding his head to the building in front of us.

"Yeah, it is," I replied. I faced toward him. "Well, thank you for helping me with my groceries and the whole catastrophe from earlier," I expressed with a smile.

"All in a day's work, ma'am," he returned. I softly shook my head with a small chuckle. "What is it?"

"You and your "ma'am" business. It's Megan, Steve."

"Sorry ma'a- er Megan," I giggled and patted his shoulder. He handed the other bag to me.

"We'll work on that," I simply stated with a smirk, seeing his face slightly flushed. "I guess I'll see you around?" I asked, my smirk relaxing into a small smile.

He returned the gesture before I headed up the steps.

* * *

"Fenris! I'm home!" I called to my companion. I jiggled the key out of the knob, shutting the door behind me, and locking it.

Walking to the kitchen, I placed the groceries on the counter top and started to unpack. I sighed, seeing that two important things were missing. I'll just get them tomorrow after work.

After putting away my groceries, I picked up one of the Granny Smith apples and bit into it. I let out a sigh as I walked out of the kitchen and crashed on the couch.

This afternoon has been eventful and it's only 6.

I felt a presence leap and land on the other end of the couch before making its way to me.

"Hey Fen," I greeted with a pat on his head. He yawned in response before cuddling to my side. Such a lazy boy.

Taking another bite, my phone buzzed. Fenris perked his head up alarmed by the noise. He hopped away and hissed at my side.

I chuckled and shook my head before fishing my phone out of my pocket. "It's just my phone, Fen," I told him, showing the still buzzing phone. He just hissed before bounding on to the other side of the couch.

Checking the caller ID, I swiped right to answer.

"What can I do for you, Director?" I answered the call.

"Selvig is starting his research on the cube as we speak. Coulson is on his way to get you. I suggest you call off work for the next couple days. I need you here on base for as long as Selvig takes to retrieve information," I blinked at Fury's words. A couple days? I looked next to me.

"All right. On one condition," I heard him sigh on the other line.

"What is it, Lu?" he asked, his voice filled with impatience.

"Since I don't have a sitter, I need to bring Fenris along," I responded, looking at my companion. He perked his head up and mewled at the mention of his name.

The line became quiet for a few moments.

"Fine. You can bring the furball with you," he grumbled. "Just be ready. Coulson should be there in a few moments," the line went dead after that statement.

I scooted down to the other side of the couch and picked Fenris up before heading off to my room to prep for the adventure ahead.

"Well Fen, it looks like you and I are about to have ourselves an adventure."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello lovelies! Sorry this chapter is a bit short, but no worries! The next chapter will get down to business.**

 **So, small world huh? Megan and Steve met for a second time. Is it fate or just a coincidence?**

 **Fury is now calling her in for some official S.H.I.E.L.D business.**

 **What will happen next?**

 **We'll find out next time!**

 **See you all soon!**

 **Also, please let me know how I'm doing by leaving a review! I hope I'm not boring you all!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	15. Chapter 15

"Hello, Phillip," I greeted with a grin, stepping to the side so he can come in. The smile slid off his face, morphing into a scowl.

"Please don't call me that," he declared once he made his way inside. "It's Phil," he corrected.

"Right, right. Of course it is, Phillip," I teased, shutting the door. He whipped his head toward me with a deadpanned expression. I snickered while holding my hands up in mock defeat.

Phil just sighed and shook his head. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah. I just got done cramming some clothes in my bag," I answered while scurrying in my room. Grabbing my black duffle bag off the floor, I double checked if I had everything I might need.

Clothes check. Undergarments check. Toiletries check. Phone charger check.

Slinging the bag on to my shoulder, I went back to the living room.

I stopped and watched Fenris purr in content when Phil rubbed his stomach and a no bake peanut butter and chocolate cookie in his other hand.

"Glad you like the cookies," I announced as I closed my bedroom door behind me. Phil got up from the couch, he raised a questioning brow when he took another bite of the cookie.

"Just thought I would snag one since they were just sitting in the jar," he commented and finished off the rest of the cookie. His eyes zeroed in on the bag in my hands. "You don't need all that stuff. We got necessities back at base."

"Who knows when I'll be back? Fury said I might be gone for a couple days," I replied with a shrug. "Let's go Fenris."

He leapt off the couch and scampered to my side.

I lifted him into my arms as we headed for the door.

"He's coming?" He asked.

"Yeah. Since the poor little guy doesn't have a sitter, I persuaded Fury to let me bring him along for the ride."

Phil chuckled as we left my apartment. "Well, I hope he likes plane rides,"

I chuckled also, but immediately stopped once the words seeped in. "Wait… What plane ride?"

"Fury moved Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S to a new remote location in the Mojave Desert," he disclosed, opening the car door for me.

I threw my bag into the vacant seat beside me.

"Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S?" I inquired, slipping into the backseat of the SUV. Closing the door, he took the passenger's seat and ordered the agent to drive.

"Potential Energy Group/Alternate Sources/United States."

I laughed a little and shook my head. "You people and your abbreviations."

* * *

It was a long, tedious four hour ride on one of S.H.I.E.L.D's jets. The worst thing was that Phil told me I had to wear the standard jumpsuit.

"Do I really have to wear this?" I asked. I only ever saw female agents wear this. Not that I had anything against it, but I am not an agent for S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Fury's orders," he answered with a minuscule smile when he saw the reproachful look on my face. "Don't worry. It's only for the duration of the research on the Tesseract."

I looked down at the said jumpsuit I was ordered to wear. Honestly, how do people go to the bathroom while wearing this?

I sighed. "I hope so. No offense to the person who designed this, but it just isn't fit for me. Natasha and Maria can pull this look off, but me? Nope," Phil suppressed his laughter from my ranting before passing me an earpiece and two semi automatic pistols. Exhaling, I slipped the earpiece on and placed the pistols in the holsters.

"Oh! I almost forgot to ask. I heard from a little birdy that you were in Portland a few days ago. Did you get to see Audrey?" I asked with a cheeky grin as we strode through the doors of S.H.I.E.L.D's base.

There it is. That smitten expression broke out on his face. He must be thinking about that date..

I cocked my head in confusion when his face suddenly melted back into a neutral expression.

"Director Fury," he called before walking ahead, ignoring my question. My head snapped forward to see said man, arms crossed and the ever present indifferent expression gracing his features.

With an inaudible groan, I followed after him. Of course it had to be Fury that changes the subject.

"Agent Coulson, I see that you have retrieved Ms. Lu," Fury responded, sending a nod my way. His eye narrowed at Fenris who scampered next to me. "And the furball…"

Fenris hissed at the nickname he was given. Fury glowered at the feline before turning his gaze back to Phil. "Could you please take Ms. Lu's things to her quarters?"

Phil nodded before picking Fenris up and took my bag in his other hand. I smiled in thanks as he walked off. He owes me a story later.

"Ms. Lu. Great to have you here," Fury greeted me.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Oh. You know me. I'm always willing to help out a friend," I replied a bit sarcastically.

"If you will follow me." We made our way towards the elevators and took it to the last floor.

"Another basement operation?" I inquired.

"We had to take extra precaution," he simply answered. I nodded.

The doors finally slid open, revealing a barren floor. Walking across, we turned the corner and strode down the stairs.

"Yeah. I think this is sufficient for extra precaution," I muttered under my breath once we stopped at the bottom. "What am I exactly going to do?" I questioned Fury as we strode into a room filled with people in lab coats, other agents, and Erik Selvig.

"You are here to keep an eye on things," he responded. I raised a brow and looked around the room to see that all of the guards are armed with weaponry. I opened my mouth to question him again, but he beat me to it. "Although the security measures are extensive, I needed someone who can do more than just shoot a gun."

"Aw, Nick. I feel so special," I gushed jokingly with a smile. His lips twitched slightly before going back to normal.

"Mr. Selvig," Fury called. Said man snapped his head up from the readings he observed. Seeing that it was Fury, he strode over to us. "I'd like you to meet Megan Lu. She will take part in the security measures during this operation."

"Ah yes. We met at the other base. It's nice to place a name to a face," Selvig stuck a hand out. I shook his hand with a small, wary smile. My mind flashed back to that night.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Selvig." he nodded his head before heading back to work.

"Agent Barton, I need you down on the floor," I heard Fury call with his earpiece.

I searched around the room before my eyes settled on a man sliding down a length of rope towards the back.

My lips stretched into a smile as Clint jogged up to us.

"Director Fury," he greeted. Fury nodded back. They started to converse in hushed tones.

I took the time to glance around the area. It was filled with high tech equipment and at the front was the Tesseract placed in a circular contraption.

I observed the man that was sent here to do more poking and prodding of the cube. He had an amazed expression as he read whatever energy readings showed on the screen. I need to keep a close eye on Selvig. Although it wasn't noticeable to anybody else, I just can't shake the feeling that something big is going to happen.

"Megan!" A voice called my name as fingers snapped in my face. It startled me slightly. "I've been trying to get your attention for a minute now," Clint told me.

"Sorry. I was just surprised at this set up. Everything is just so high-tech that I can't even place a single name on any of these things," I reasoned. It was half the truth.

Clint chuckled lowly. "Yeah. I don't know much about these things either," he confessed. "Fury told me that you cover the floor." I nodded.

"Okay. Are you going back up in your nest?" I quipped, trying to hold back my bout of laughter, but failing miserably. He shoved my shoulder and walked off with me laughing.

* * *

This must be the fiftieth time I walked around this area. At least 3 hours passed by and nothing noteworthy has occurred.

With an exasperated sigh, I leaned against the wall. Crossing my arms, I trained my eyes to scope the room.

The security in this room are like statues. I haven't seen any of them move once.

I think I was the only one making some form of movement besides Selvig and the other scientists.

"You sound bored," Clint voiced through my earpiece.

"Well, this isn't the most exciting job I had," I muttered back. "See anything up in your nest?"

My eyes flitted back to Selvig's frantic form. He kept striding toward the cube, peering at what the other scientists found in their readings, and back to his own. It's like he doesn't tire out from this. Guess that's why they got him for the job.

I could imagine that he's rolling his eyes right now. "Nope. Just a bunch of scuttling from the scientists," Clint responded.

I merely hummed in response and scuffed my boot on the floor. "How much longer are we doing this?"

"Depends on Selvig."

I turned my attention back to said man. It looks like he won't lose energy anytime soon.

* * *

The next few days have been the same cycle. Walk around the research area for suspicious activity, but nothing came up.

One thing I have noticed that as the days progressed, Selvig would become more frenetic with his work.

I spoke to Clint about it, but he told me it was nothing to worry about. Apparently, scientists act like that when they discovered something interesting. I don't think that was the case.

"I'm surprised that Fury let you in on this operation," Clint told me as we walked from the canteen. Fenris weaved through the space between us and pranced ahead.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"No offense, but you always protested against this. Saying that you 'want a normal life'," he air quoted.

"Well, I'm not exactly an agent," I threw back. He opened his mouth to respond, but he snapped his mouth shut.

Selvig, along with a few other scientists ran past us. He held something in his hand and kept glancing at it as he darted by.

"What's going on?" Clint yelled. None of them answered.

We glanced at each other before sprinting after them. I whistled loudly and Fenris scurried behind us. We ran all the way back to the research area and saw Selvig at one of the screens.

"Selvig! What's happening?" I asked as we ran up to him.

Selvig's eyes were frantic as he read. "There's an unusual energy signature coming from the power source. Someone contact Director Fury!" he ordered, his eyes flitting across the screen.

"Coulson. We need Fury at base as soon as possible. There appears to be a problem with the Tesseract," I informed with my earpiece, trying to get Phil's attention.

"I'm on it," Phil answered.

"We should get back to our posts and wait until the Director gets here," Clint whispered to me. I nodded and proceeded to do as I was told.

* * *

Hours have passed and the cube was still giving off energy. Once Phil had contacted Fury, he ordered an emergency evacuation except for us that were down on the research floor.

"Megan, I need you up here," Phil voiced through my earpiece.

"On my way," I replied. Scooping Fenris in my arms, I jogged out of the research area.

Jabbing my thumb on the elevator button, it dinged open and I pressed for the ground floor.

Once the doors opened, I sprinted through and weaved my way through agents running around and carting equipment.

Alarms blared and a person spoke on the intercom about evacuation.

"Phil!" I called once I caught sight of him waiting outside near a helipad. He whipped his head toward me and nodded in greeting. His body was tense due to the situation at hand which was perfectly understandable. "Isn't it a bit dark out for shades?" I joked, trying to cut off some of the edge from the current situation. His lips perked up, but went back to normal as a helicopter landed on the helipad.

The door slid open, revealing Maria and Fury climbing out of the helicopter.

They strode their way towards us.

"How bad is it?" Fury asked, glancing back and forth between us.

Phil took off his sunglasses. "That's the problem, sir. We don't know."

Phil led us through the radiation section of the facility. Many of technicians and agents ran around, taking only the important equipment.

"Doctor Selvig read an energy surge from the Tesseract four hours ago," Phil informed them. Fury's forehead creased.

"NASA did not authorize Selvig to test phase," Fury sharply inputted.

"He wasn't testing it," Phil informed as we briskly walked around a couple drainage pipes.

"Doctor Selvig wasn't in the room. He ran past Agent Barton and I when we were heading back to the area," I added in.

"Spontaneous event," Phil concluded.

"It just turned itself on?" Maria questioned in mild disbelief.

"What are the energy levels now?" Fury queried as we neared the radiation facility floor.

"They're increasing significantly. Selvig couldn't figure out what is triggering it so Agent Coulson ordered immediate evac when he couldn't lower the energy levels," I answered.

"How long to get everyone out?"

"Campus should be cleared in the next half hour."

"Do better," Phil nodded at Fury before walking back.

"Phil!" I called, stopping in my tracks. He turned back. I walked up to him and passed him Fenris. "Keep him safe. I have a feeling something might happen and I don't want him to be down here if it does," Fenris whined in protest. Phil cradled the caracal in his arms and nodded before striding off.

"Lu! Let's go!" Fury called. I turned and ran back towards Fury and Maria.

"Sir, evacuation may be futile," Maria voiced as I caught up behind them.

We climbed down the stairwell to reach the floor.

"We should tell them to go back to sleep?" Fury questioned sarcastically.

Maria ignored that comment and continued on, "If we can't control the Tesseract's energy, there may not be a minimum safe distance."

A couple more technicians scurried by us as the alarm continued to blare.

"I need you to make sure that the PHASE 2 prototypes are shipped out," he ordered, ignoring the comments she made previously.

"Sir, is that really a priority right now?" She questioned incredulously. Fury whipped around to face her, making us stop in our tracks.

"Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on. Clear out the tech below. Every piece of PHASE 2 on a truck and gone," he repeated with a stern look.

"Yes, sir," Maria complied. She looked at the two security guards outside the door. "With me."

The guards stepped off their post and followed after Maria's strides.

"Lu, let's go," We stepped into the lab facility where the cube was held by a compact muon solenoid coil chamber. I didn't know what that was until Selvig explained it to me at the canteen earlier.

"Talk to me, Doctor," Fury called. Selvig peeks out from behind a machine and strode over to talk to him. I look around and noticed one of the scientists prodding with the Tesseract. The cube seemed to glow unusually brighter and a flare shot out, making the scientist lean back in recoil.

My gut twisted at the sight. It was obvious how much power was building up.

"Lu!" I snapped my head to the side to see Fury staring me down. I immediately went over to his side.

"Are you seeing anything that might set this thing off?" He questioned us as we walked towards the power source.

"No one's come or gone. It's oven is clean. No contacts, no I.M.'s. If there was any tampering, sir, it wasn't at this end," Clint concluded, once we stopped.

"At this end?" Fury repeated questioningly. He blinked at him to continue his explanation.

Clint nodded and crossed his arms. "Yeah, the cube is a doorway to the other end of space, right? The doors open from both sides,"

My eyes flitted back to the cube.

Suddenly, the Tesseract crackled and shook the entire facility. My legs almost gave out, but I managed to keep myself upright. I cautiously took a step back as I watched the cube's energy swirl and continue to expand.

The flaring rings and glow of the cube spouted out brighter and louder.

The Tesseract's energy built up into a beam, which hits at the end of a platform that is wired to CMS device.

The beam then formed a vortex, which opened a portal.

A gust of blue clouds filled the room, blinding everyone. I turned my head with my eyes shut.

The Tesseract's energy formed into a cloud that reached to the top the facility's vacuum chamber ceiling.

It's abnormally quiet. I turned my gaze ahead and saw something glowing on the platform.

Heavy breathing broke the silence in the room and was coming from the platform.

S.H.I.E.L.D guards slowly approached, their guns in hands.

A figure is kneeling on the platform, smoke rolling off it.

The crouched man had a maniacal smile on his face when he snapped his head up, but it quickly melted away.

His black hair was slicked back, pale skin, and intimidating blue eyes. His outfit seemed like it was from a different time or something unworldly.

He looked deep into the eyes of Fury, Barton and Selvig.

His eyes focused on me and I flinched at the intensity of the stare.

He stands up, holding the scepter.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Woo! We're finally at the Avengers!**

 **Sorry it took so long for this update. Last week was filled with exams and projects. One more day and I'll be on break! Woo!**

 **There will probably another chapter this week since I am really excited to get back into writing again!**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I will see you again soon!**

 **Until next time!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	16. Chapter 16

S.H.I.E.L.D security cautiously crept closer to the strange man that appeared out of nowhere.

The man must have noticed that he was being surrounded since he pointed his weapon warily in front of him.

Many questions ran through my mind. Where did this man come from? What is he doing here? Why does his scepter look like it contains the same power source as the Tesseract?

"Sir!" Fury called, his voice echoing off the walls of the quiet room. The man snapped his head toward him. "Please put down the spear!"

I hovered my hands over both of the semi-automatic pistons in the holsters, ready to whip them out if needed.

The man looked at the weapon in his hand before aiming it towards us. It charged and shot a beam at us. Immediately, I rolled to the side to avoid the shot.

Whipping my head to the side, I saw that Clint and Fury were not harmed by the sudden attack.

After that one shot, all hell broke loose.

Quickly getting up, I heard the machine guns firing at the man.

Taking cover behind a flipped table, I peeked around and saw the man shoot another at a group of guards.

Switching off the safety, I took out the pistols and shot at the man. It didn't seem to affect him in anyway. I was stunned. How is that possible?

He whipped his head toward my position with a snarl on his face and fired another bright blue beam my way.

I rolled the opposite direction, narrowly missing the attack. Looking back over there, my breathing became labored out of fear and exhaustion.

Rising from the floor, my eyes took in the destruction during the last few minutes.

The lab was completely destroyed. It only took one man to decimate our fire power. Not many of us were left standing.

My eyes landed on the man who stopped and waited for another anticipated attack.

The man quickly ran over to Clint as he was getting up.

I rushed in to save him, but was too late. The man placed the tip of his scepter on his chest. A blue glow gave off and sunk into Clint's chest.

My eyes widened in horror as Clint slid his gun back into the holster, not attempting to fight back.

I looked around the room and spotted Fury on the ground with a shocked expression.

Sprinting over to him, I hastily helped him to his feet as we kept our eyes on them.

Standing, I trained my gun on the man in case if he makes any move toward us.

As I quickly glanced back at Fury, he placed the cube in the briefcase. Facing back to the front, the strange man placed his scepter on one of the guards.

Shutting it quietly, Fury nudged me with the case and gestured me to follow quietly. We turned to head for the exit.

"Please don't," the man spoke once we stepped off the platform. I spun around and my gun trained at him with a glare as he faced us. "I still need that."

I felt my breathing hitch. That voice..

"This doesn't have to get any messier," Fury stated.

"Of course it does. I've come too far for anything else," It was the same voice I heard when Selvig agreed to the project. "I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose."

"Loki?" Selvig voiced in wonder, standing up after checking on a fellow scientist. "Brother of Thor?" Loki shot him a loathing look. Guess he doesn't think highly of his brother.

"We have no quarrel with your people," Fury tried to reconcile.

Loki turned his attention back to Fury. "An ant has no quarrel with a boot."

"You planning to step on us?"

Loki made a step toward Selvig and turned back to Fury. "I come with glad tidings, of a world made free."

"Free from what?"

"Freedom," Oh, well then. "Freedom is life's great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart..," once he was close enough, he turned and pointed the tip to Selvig's chest. Great another power hungry man that wants to take over the world. Just great...

"Yeah, you say peace, I kind of think you mean the other thing," Fury stalled as we heard the energy swirl and build behind us.

Clint must have noticed. He strode toward Loki and Selvig. "Sir, Director Fury is stalling. This  
place is about to blow. Drop a hundred feet of rock on us. He means to bury us."

I inwardly sighed. Oh Clint..

"Like the Pharaohs of Odin," Fury dryly commented.

"He's right. The portal is collapsing in on itself. You got maybe two minutes before this goes critical," Selvig notified as he read off one of the unharmed screens.

"Well then," Loki started and glanced at Clint. Clint quickly whipped out his gun and shot Fury.

I gasped as Fury fell to the ground, unmoving.

He pointed his gun toward me, but I quickly threw my hand up as a familiar shroud of electricity protected me from the bullet.

Loki narrowed his eyes on my form in interest as I whipped out my gun and shot at them.

Loki dodged all of the oncoming bullets. One of the bullets pierced a guard through his right shoulder, but he didn't pay any mind as he continued to fire.

Clint and some of the guards Loki has with him continued to shoot at me.

The bullets bounced off my shield as I proceeded to fire at them.

One guard fell to the ground, but the others kept trying to take down my defense.

An empty click resonated, I tossed the useless gun aside and charged up my hand.

The familiar tendrils of electricity gathered on the palm of my hand. Gathering enough energy, I whipped it at them, but they all evaded my attack.

Clint dived for the briefcase that held the Tesseract and turned around, shooting at me as the others retreated.

Shooting one last electric ball at them, another guard shook and fell down. It wasn't charged enough to kill someone, just to knock them out. Bad news was that the others escaped.

"Damn it," I gasped as I felt blood trickle out of my nose. Hastily wiping it away, I placed my arm down.

My shield fizzled out as I ran toward Fury.

"Fury! Are you alright?" I asked, my breathing heavy from exerting that much energy. I knelt next to his body and checking the wound. There wasn't any blood. He abruptly sat up with a slight groan and pulled the bullet out of his bulletproof vest.

I sighed in relief and helped him stand as he grabbed the walkie talkie.

"Hill, do you copy?" He rasped, a bit pained from the bullet's impact. "Barton is.." We both looked behind us. The energy swirled bigger and was picking up pieces of the platform.

I pulled him up from the ground and helped him toward the exit.

"He's got the Tesseract! Track it down!" he ordered fiercely. We ran through the already shaking facility as fast as we could.

Running up the stairs, we bolted out of the doors and jumped into a helicopter that waited on the helipad.

The surface of the pad gives way, plunging the helicopter through the surface. The helicopter flew up as we narrowly escaped.

I let out a shaky breath, relieved that we made it out alive. I hope everyone is alright.

Running my hand through my hair, I looked out the window and my jaw dropped. The whole facility collapsed and crumbled into the ground. Dust blew in the air and debris caved in the expanding hole.

Looking away, my eyes locked on a vehicle driving wildly across the desert floor.

Seeing a vibrant blue color, I realized it was Loki and the others trying to escape.

Fury stood and slid open the helicopter door, holding his pistol and shooting at the car.

Even though I felt fatigued from using my shield, I had to do something besides sitting here.

Charging my hand, I threw it at the car, but it swerved to the side.

A blue beam shot towards us and hit the back of the helicopter. It began to ablaze and spin out of control. I grabbed on to the side rail for dear life. My heart pounded a mile a minute. The ground crept closer as we started to crash.

"Lu! Jump!" Fury ordered. Letting go of the rail, we both jumped out of the helicopter. It barrelled across the ground.

I landed on my back as the fall knocked the wind out of me. I groaned in pain as I rolled to my side.

Fury landed on his feet and continued to shoot at the retreating car until they were out of sight.

Once I caught my breath, I pushed myself off the ground and unsteadily stood up on my feet.

"Director? Director Fury, do you copy?" The walkie talkie crackled to life, streaming Phil's voice through.

He held it in his hands and responded, "The Tesseract is with the hostile force. I have men down. Hill?"

It buzzed a few seconds later. "A lot of men still under, don't know how many survivors," Maria replied.

"Sound the general call. I want every living soul not working rescue looking for that brief case," he ordered her.

"Roger," she affirmed.

"Coulson, get back to base. This is a LEVEL SEVEN. As of right now, we are at war," he gravely informed.

* * *

After Phil found us in the middle of the desert, we rode back with him and the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D personnel.

Glancing out of the opened back, I noticed a jet flying overhead.

I looked beside me. "What's going to happen now?"

"We're going for a little ride," Fury answered.

I inwardly sighed at his vague words.

Running my fingers through Fenris' fur, I felt the car slow to a stop.

Once the vehicle came to a full stopped, Fury hopped out and walked around it.

Staring after him in confusion, Phil nudged my side and nodded for me to go.

Complying, I carefully stepped off and rounded to the front.

The jet I saw fly earlier landed in an empty space a couple yards away from where we stopped.

The other S.H.I.E.L.D personnel that were in the vehicle jogged past me and filed into the jet once the back opened.

"Come on, Megan. We gotta go," Phil voiced as he walked ahead.

I scurried after him, "Go where?"

"You'll see."

Both of us stepped inside and took the vacant seats near the back.

The back began to seal and before I knew it, we were up in the air.

"Phil," he turned his attention from the wall to me. "I'm glad that you made it out safe."

A small smile appeared on his face as the jet flew off to the next unknown destination.

* * *

 _The door slammed open as I vainly tried to hold back a gasp._

 _Footsteps sounded in the room, the floorboards creaking slightly from their weight._

 _I blinked back tears and cupped my hands over my mouth to muffle the ragged breaths that kept escaping._

' _Please don't let them find me.'_

 _Peering through the tiny crack of my closet door, one of them flipped the bed over._

 _Shaking, I inaudibly backed up as far as I could and crouched down slowly._

 _The closet door slammed open with a hand shooting out._

 _With a startled gasp, I screamed._

* * *

I felt myself jolt awake from the person that kept shaking my shoulder.

With panicked eyes, it was just Phil. I let out the breath I realized I was holding.

His expression seemed worried as he looked at me, "Are you alright?"

I furrowed my brows and blinked the memory, or should I say nightmare, away.

I nodded my head because I couldn't trust my voice at the moment.

"We're about to land," he informed me before turning back to the person beside him.

Sighing, I wiped the sweat of my brow.

Why are my nightmares coming back? It's been weeks since I last had one.

The aircraft began to descend.

The back of the jet slowly slid open.

Standing up, I made my way out of the aircraft. My eyes widened as I took in my surroundings.

"Phil, where are we?" I asked, taking my first step off the jet.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello everyone!**

 **We got a couple things going on in this chapter.**

 **Loki being Loki; destroying almost everything in his path, Loki taking interest in Megan's ability, and her reoccurring nightmares.**

 **I'm pretty sure you guys know what will happen next.. or will you?**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please favorite, follow, and review! (:**

 **Also, the next time I will update will probably be in two weeks. Finals are coming up at my university and this semester has been a tough one!**

 **Hopefully by that time I'll have another chapter up (and hopefully it'll snow!)**

 **Until next time!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	17. Chapter 17

"Miss Lu, welcome aboard. This is S.H.I.E.L.D's Helicarrier," Fury informed, striding past me and entered inside. I looked around the area and furrowed my brow.

"If this is the Helicarrier, why are we on water?" Phil chuckled.

"Nothing gets passed you, does it?" I just shrug my shoulders with a light smirk.

"What can I say? I am quite observant about things," I breezily replied, still looking around. There were some small aircrafts around.

"You'll see pretty soon. Now, come on. Let's get inside," he gestured a hand for me to go through the same way as Fury did.

I froze in my tracks as my jaw dropped once we made it to the bridge of the Helicarrier. "Woah..," I breathed out, stepping inside and taking in what's before me.

"Pretty impressive, isn't it?" Fury asked as he turned to face me. I nodded silently, still taking it all in.

A large, round glass table accompanied with black chairs greeted my vision as I made my way inside. My eyes scanned over the many high-tech goodies on the bridge. The computer systems were so advanced; some didn't even have physical screens. The two Fury stood in between seemed like they were holographic. Agents were stationed at every single operating system, typing away and talking amongst themselves into the headsets they wore. I wonder if the rest of this place was similar.

I walked toward the windows at the front that littered the wall. Glancing out, all I saw was a blue expanse of the ocean. A tinge of orange peeked out in the horizon. It must almost be dawn. The view was breathtaking to say the least.

Hearing footsteps pad toward me, I didn't bother turning around.

"Megan," Phil's voiced. "You ready for that tour around the Helicarrier?"

I nodded as I tore my gaze away from the slowly rising sun and followed after Phil.

Entering the hallway, I turned my head to Phil.

"What's going to happen now?" I questioned as we walked down the empty hall.

He grimaced slightly. "We're having people tracking the cube and Loki as we speak. We just need to recruit a couple others for assistance," he answered. I felt confused after his explanation.

"How do I fit in this equation?" I blurted out my train of thought. "I mean.. I wouldn't be much use in the tracking part. I'm not as tech savvy as all of you people," I said, thinking back to those computers on the bridge.

"If there's going to be another run in with Loki, we need all the help we can get."

Phil showed me important places I would need; the canteen, training room, medical facility, and the bridge again.

After the extensive tour, we finally came to a stop in front of a steel door. It slid open, revealing a bed and dresser. The room itself wasn't large. It sort of resembled my accomodations back at headquarters when they first found me.

"This seems familiar," I commented dryly at the steel walls. Phil chuckled.

"Then you should feel right at home," he joked with a small smile.

"Ha ha. Very funny, Phil," I stepped inside. "I guess I can work with this. Only problem is that I don't have any of my stuff," I sighed and carefully placed Fenris on the bed. He nuzzled into the blanket and continue to sleep. I smiled and petted his head lightly before walking back to Phil.

Phil placed a finger on his earpiece and turned his head to the side. "Yes sir?" He answered. Must be Fury. "On it," he placed his arm down. "Duty calls. Gotta get those recruits. I'll see you when I get back."

"Alright. Good luck, Phil. See you later," I told him with an encouraging smile. He nodded and walked off.

* * *

I groaned as I laid on the cot. My body curled around Fenris' still form. Looking at the digital clock on the bedside table, it was almost 8:30 in the morning. I have been laying like this for an hour since Phil left me to my own devices.

Scrunching my nose, I sat up. Sleep never came to me. Swinging my legs, I rose from the bed and made my way out of my room.

I retraced my steps back into the bridge. Everything was the same since I left the room earlier.

Fury stood between the two holographic monitors, scanning the room to see if everything is in order.

I slowly made my way towards him. Standing beside him, I crossed my arms.

"Have trouble sleeping?" Fury asked, not tearing his gaze away from what's in front of him.

Sighing, I replied, "With the recent turn of events, I find it hard to."

"Yeah. That tends to happen when a madman tries to take over the world," he stated. "Was there something you need?" He asked once he realized I still stood there.

"Phil told me that he's recruiting others. Is this about the Avengers initiative that you told me before?" I asked, cutting to the chase.

"Hill," he called. I looked around until my eyes landed on her. She faced holographic monitors with a neutral expression, similar to Fury.

"Yes sir?"

"Be prepared for any visitors," he ordered. She nodded and went back to what she was doing previously.

He turned back toward me and gestured me to follow him out. We walked a little ways before ending up in an office. Fury took a seat and I followed suit. Opening a drawer, he slid toward me what looked like a tablet.

"I figured that given the situation, you should be notified on who will be working alongside you," he stated once I swiped it open.

The first name that popped up was Tony. It wasn't a shock to me really. I mean he's Iron Man and a genius. He took down Vanko last time. S.H.I.E.L.D would probably need his big brain and his suit for something. His file showed brief descriptions of his accomplishments, whereabouts, a picture, among other things.

"Is S.H.I.E.L.D always this thorough?" I asked dryly with a look of disdain, not really looking into Tony's information. It almost felt like I was invading someone's privacy.

"S.H.I.E.L.D monitors everyone associated with them," Fury responded before standing. "I will leave you to it. I trust that you know your teammates by the time they arrive."

The door slid shut behind him. I turned back to the device in my hand before taking my leave as well.

* * *

Minutes passed as I took refuge in my room once again while going through the people who were taking part in this. I sat on the bed with my back against the wall. Fenris was still out like a light which surprised me. He is usually up and about around this time.

After Tony's file, my face popped up on the left of the screen. My eyes lit up. Interesting. Since it was my file, I took the liberty to see how much these people know about me. Scanning it, my eyes hardened as they landed on my parents names. My hand curled tighter around the device. Apparently, they were still alive and somewhere out there. Tearing my eyes away from their wretched names, I continued on.

Wow. These people have been keeping tabs on me the past couple months. It even lists everything I was capable of doing. Two different videos clips were at the bottom of the screen. Curious, I clicked on the first one. It was recorded at Monaco with me choking Vanko. The next one included the Hammer droids and ended with my shield discovery.

After reading a little about Bruce Banner, I watched as the Hulk decimated members of the army at Culver University. Apparently, he tried to replicate the Super Soldier serum, but things didn't seem to plan out well. Poor man. Turning into a big, green, rage monster must be tough.

Moving on to the next person caught my interest. A god, huh? From Asgard? My mind went back to Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. That Loki guy mentioned he was from Asgard. Hopefully this guy isn't crazy like Loki.

Scrolling down, I noticed he was the god of thunder. I lifted my head for a moment. Since he's the god of thunder, does that mean I am a goddess of thunder? We both essentially have almost the same ability except that I don't wield a huge hammer and fly around with a cape. An amused smirk crossed my features. This is interesting indeed. To be honest, I felt kind of psyched to meet Thor.

Sliding a finger to the right, the tablet almost tumbled out of my hand. What? My eyes were wide and my mouth dropped in utter shock. A picture of a man with blonde hair and blue eyes stared up at me.

Steve?

The customer from Patisserie Amie, the guy who sat across from me, and the man who helped me get rid of my sodden groceries was Captain America?

I merely blinked at the screen, shocked and confused. How is it that he's still alive? And still look the same?

I pulled the device closer to my face. Skimming through, it said that he was frozen for almost seventy years. Well, that explains one thing. I lowered it down on my lap and stared at the gray wall in front of me.

Wait. If he's part of the Avengers and Phil shows everyone who's part of it, he'll see my file. What is he going to think? What is he going to say? Is he going to avoid me like the plague? Will he be shocked as I am?

My train of thought suddenly stopped and realized how vacuous I was being. Why am I worrying about this? We're just acquaintances that turn into teammates. Not a big deal, Megan.

I worry too much over nothing.

Laying back on the bed, I groaned and ran a hand through my locks. This is either going to go well or everything will just be a complete bust. My mind was thinking on the latter at the moment.

I turned the tablet off and got up from the bed. Placing it on the desk, I rifled through the drawers to see if there was a change of clothes. My body sagged a bit at the sight of the S.H.I.E.L.D jumpsuits that littered every one. It was just too good to be true. Closing them, I left to head toward the training room. If we're going up against an otherworldly being, I might as well get some practice in.

* * *

Twirling the knife between my fingers, I drew my hand back and watched it swiftly sail towards the practice dummy.

Bullseye. I smirked at the familiar thud as it landed in between where a person's eyes should be.

My smirk melted back into a small smile. The last time I was doing something like this was back at HQ. Natasha and Clint were bickering about who was a better teacher. I sniggered as I thought back to that day.

Walking to the dummy, I plucked each knife off. Don't worry, Clint. We'll get you back. Even if it kills me.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hi everyone! Sorry this chapter is a bit boring. I just wanted to post something since it's been two weeks!**

 **I'm finally on winter break! It feels so good! Now, I have more time to focus on this story. I'm actually planning out the next chapter right now. It will probably be out sometime this week!**

 **I hope you guys somewhat enjoyed this!**

 **Oh! Also, I want to thank _CaptnMerica_ for all the wonderful comments! **

**Anyway, until next time!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	18. Chapter 18

Pressing the red button, I slowed to a stop. Trying to keep my breathing steady, I stepped off the treadmill. I swiped the dampness off my forehead before placing my hands on my hips, trying to regulate my breathing. Looking at the timer, I groaned as I noticed I ran for fifteen minutes. Well, more like a light jog… with a bit of walking. I am not meant to work out. I guess the only time I can run without feeling exhausted is if I'm running for my life.

Hanging my head, I switched the machine off and walked away from the dreaded exercising machine.

Time has passed since I situated myself in the training area. Most of the time, I just practiced throwing and slashing with knives and some target practice with a pistol. After growing bored of those activities, I tried to do some cardio exercises. It didn't go so well considering the fact that I can't run long.

I think that's enough exercise for now.

I walked out of the training room and headed back to my room for a much needed shower.

* * *

Humming softly, I found myself roaming the halls of the Helicarrier with Fenris after a refreshing shower.

He scampered in front of me and kept glancing around the new area with his tail swaying to and fro. Sometimes, Fenris would run near a closed door and try to stick his nose under the tiny crack. Whenever he prowled in new territory, he reminded me of a small child, always so curious about the environment.

I couldn't help but chuckle silently at his antics as he peeked his head in an open door then turned away and carried on.

"I think you're enjoying this place more than I am," I commented. Fenris meowed in response and trotted forward.

A faint buzz sounded in my ear before Maria's voice sounded through, "Megan, we need you at the bridge. We are starting the face trace."

"Is the face trace tracking that Loki guy?" I asked. Honestly, I hate wearing this ear piece. I bet I look like a weirdo talking to myself. Maybe that's why people place their finger on their ear. Either way, still weird.

"Yes."

"On my way," I replied and placed my hand down. Looking down, I whistled. Fenris stopped and swiveled his head back toward me. "Come on, Fen. Let's go."

His ears drooped down as he halted his steps. I led the way as he trotted beside me.

* * *

"So, the face trace…" I trailed off as I stood next to Maria. "Can it guarantee that it will find Loki?" I asked Maria, feeling a bit doubtful. That madman could be anywhere by now. I don't think he's the type that would be wreaking havoc if people are looking for him.

"We have eyes and ears everywhere. It is highly probable that we will find him before the day is over," she responded. She pressed a few buttons on the holographic surface and typed away on the keyboard. "Don't worry about it." I exhaled and nodded.

Once that thing finds where Loki's hiding, we can take him down and get Clint back. Since he took control over him, he would need him for his skills and probably let him do most of the dirty work. I shook my head to get rid of the thought. Maria's right. I need to calm down.

Not wanting to bother Maria, I found myself walking toward the large window at the front. I gazed out and watched as the sun shone with the waves moving along with the slight breeze. Even though I was stuck on this metal contraption for who knows how long, the view will never cease to amaze me.

I felt a nudge on my calve, causing me to look down at Fenris' pale blue eyes. With a small smile, I crouched next to him and petted his head. He purred in delight and nuzzled his head into my hand. I let out an airy laugh before taking a seat on the ground and pulling him on to my lap. He curled his body into my lap. Gazing back out to the ocean, I hummed softly while stroking his fur.

Suddenly, the Helicarrier started to shake. Fenris' head shot up and looked around, alarmed. Looking back out, I noticed that we were starting to hover. Higher and higher the ship went.

I heard Maria yell orders from behind me. I scooped Fenris in my arms and walked closer to the window.

"Let's vanish," Fury ordered. I furrowed my brows in confusion. Vanish? Straightaway, I noticed the Helicarrier begin to slowly disappear.

"Wow," I whispered to myself, awed at what I was witnessing. I turned back around and headed toward Fury. He must have noticed the look on my face.

"Amazed yet?" He asked with a smirk.

"A bit," I answered, playing it cool with a shrug. Fury chuckled, seeing through my lie.

Fury turned and approached two men. "Gentlemen," he greeted. I looked over and my eyes landed on the one man I was nervous to see. My brow rose when I saw him slip something in Fury's hand. As Fury looked at it, I noticed it was money. Why was he giving him money? Fury slipped it into his pocket and turned his attention to the other man.

Steve must have been in much astonishment about the Helicarrier as I was since he kept his gaze forward.

I bit my lip before clearing my throat. "Hey Steve."

He snapped out of his daze and looked for the person who called his name before his eyes landed on my form.

I gave a sheepish smile.

"Hi," he breathed out a moment later. Guessing by his expression, he looked surprised to see me here. "What are you doing here?"

"Same reason as you," I responded.

Steve opened his mouth, but Fury cut him off, "Ms. Lu, I'm guessing you are already acquainted with Captain Rogers."

"It's a small world," Steve answered for me. Looking back at him, I see that his expression was kept neutral. No trace of friendliness like the other times I have seen him.

Oh well, this will be lovely.

* * *

An hour has passed since the face trace began. Agents flurried by to other stations and a couple of commands were ordered by Maria or Fury.

Bruce Banner apparently made an appearance on the ship at the same time Steve did. He was off in the lab, trying to track the cube as well. I haven't had the fortune to meet him yet.

Steve, on the other hand, had avoided me like I was the plague. Every time I tried to speak to him, he either walks away or strikes up a conversation with Phil. I gave up after the third time it happened. If he doesn't want to speak to me, then so be it.

I don't know what his problem was. It's not like I hid anything from him. We only met and ran into each other two other times. Besides, how would I know that he would be involved in this Avengers business? Or that he's Captain America?

Brushing my bangs to the side, I watched Fenris chase his tail on the glass table that I have taken a seat in. Every agent still kept an eye out for Loki along with Natasha. After she showed where Dr. Banner was working, she immediately came back and surveyed the area to see if anyone found anything. Natasha was just as worried as I felt.

Being on the bridge showed me how useless I am. I just sat around not doing anything in particular. All Fury told me was to wait for his command. I didn't want to sit here. I'm not his dog.

I was about to get up to see if Maria found anything, but a voice cut me out of my reverie.

"All the times we ran into each other," With a questioning gaze, I saw the man that has been avoiding me for the past hour slip into the seat on my right side. His gaze was hard as he stared at me. I stared straight at him, waiting for him to continue. "We met at the restaurant twice and in the middle of the sidewalk. Did S.H.I.E.L.D hire you to spy on me?"

I gave Steve a bewildered look. "Spy on you?" I sputtered incredulously. A few agents nearby turned to look at me, but I brushed the stares away as I continued in a hushed tone, "All of the times we have met were purely coincidental. Before all of this, I had no idea who you were. I thought you were just a guy who I bumped into on more than one occasion," Steve's expression was difficult to read. Gathering Fenris in my arms with him growling in protest, I shot Steve one last look, "Besides, if you read my file, you would know exactly why I'm here." And with that, I stormed out of the Bridge.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello everybody! Sorry this chapter has been updated so late! I went to the Philippines over winter break and I just got back. My relatives live on the countryside so there wasn't any wi-fi while I was there.**

 **I know that this is relatively short, but I just wanted to give a quick update for all of you who waited patiently.**

 **So, there's a bit of tension between Megan and Steve. Will it get better or worse?**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Also, merry late Christmas and happy New Year. I hope you all enjoyed your holidays!**

 **I will see you all later!**

 **Until next time!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	19. Chapter 19

I scoffed as I exited the Bridge. My boots echoed down the empty halls. Who does he think he is? The guy barely knows me and yet accused me of spying on him. Just because we had encountered each other on more than one occasion doesn't mean anything.

Placing Fenris on the ground, I let him have his freedom to roam.

"So, I'm guessing that's the Steve you were talking about?" I let out a tiny shriek and turned around. Natasha sniggered at my reaction.

I swatted her arm and glared slightly. "Geez Natasha! You scared me!" I exclaimed.

She shrugged. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

"Next time make noise or something. My poor heart can't take all you popping out of nowhere," I stated dramatically with a hand over my heart and the other on my forehead to make it look like I was about to faint. She lightly shoved my arm as we both let out a laugh.

"Whatever you say, drama queen," Natasha muttered the last part.

"What did you say?"

"Anyway, back to my question," she changed the subject. I nodded for her to continue as we both started to walk down the deserted halls with Fenris exploring. "The Steve you told me about was that Steve?"

"Yeah," I answered simply.

"Seems like you both had a pretty intense conversation back there."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious..," I muttered under my breath. "He thinks that Fury hired me to spy on him," I whispered. She hummed in response.

"What I can gather is that he is rather shocked to see you. He thought you were just a regular, normal girl. Realizing that you are more than that, his mind immediately locked on the thought of S.H.I.E.L.D. Judging by his irrational response of you being here, I take that he didn't get to go through all of the files that Phil gave him?" I just shrugged my shoulders in response and turned my gaze to the floor. "Hmm. You look pretty bummed about this?"

I snapped my gaze back to her and rose a brow. "Why would I be sad?"

She smirked a bit, "Well, from the way you marched out of the room earlier, it seemed like you were."

I scoffed. "I'm not upset," I stated. I sighed and rubbed my face. "It just bugs me that he would accuse me of such things. I'm not my parents," I whispered out the last part. I let out a shaky sigh and brushed my bangs away from my face.

"We all know you're not," Natasha said. She tugged my arm to stop and turned me to face her. Placing both of her hands on my shoulders, she continued, "What your parents did to you was unforgivable. Just because Rogers said that to you doesn't mean anything. They're with HYDRA and you work for S.H.I.E.L.D. Don't let those words get to you," She finalized staring at me. I nodded.

"Thanks, Nat." I gave her a small smile as she pat my shoulder.

"Come on. I got a little surprise for you." I nodded and we continued on down the empty hall.

* * *

"Geez. You eat so much for a little guy," I commented as I watched Fenris feast on the beef I found at the canteen. He ate as if he hadn't had a meal in months. His head was buried in the small dish, trying to gnaw every morsel. "If you keep eating like this, people will think I don't feed you." I leaned back on my seat with arms crossed and shook my head. I finished my sandwich ten minutes ago, but Fenris was still going at it.

I shrugged off my red knit cardigan, feeling a bit warm. Hanging it off the back of my chair, I leaned back and sighed in content. Looking down at my outfit, I smiled widely at my white cotton sleeveless cutaway blouse and high waisted skinny jeans. It felt so great to be wearing normal clothes again. It felt like I was suffocating whenever I wore that form fitting jumpsuit. Thanks to Nat for bringing me some of my clothes, I can be a bit more comfortable now.

A few moments, I felt a presence behind me. "Is there something you need, Captain?" I asked politely without turning around. The said man gestured to take the seat in front of me. I gave a slight nod indicating he can. Uncrossing my arms, I sat up straight on my chair and folded my hands on my lap. Once he sat down, I finally made eye contact with Steve.

"How did you know it was me?" He asked.

I shrugged. "I usually know who it is by how loud they walk. Take Natasha for example. She's quiet as a mouse. Yours is different. It's like a soft padding sound. I know it's strange, but it helps at times." Crossing my leg over the other, I let out a soft sigh. "Enough about me. I have a feeling you didn't come here to get something to eat," I noted, noticing the lack of food in front of him. His soft gaze met mine as he exhaled.

"I wanted to apologize for what I said to you earlier on the Bridge," Steve started. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that. It's just that.. This isn't the first time S.H.I.E.L.D has done something like this." He looked at his folded hands on the table.

"Done what?" I asked, breaking him out of his reverie.

"Send someone to keep an eye on me," he answered. I pursed my lips before letting out a chuckle. He shot me a confused glance.

"I thought the same thing also," I fiddled with my hands before continuing. "They would always want to keep tabs on a person like me." His brow rose. From where I sat, I saw all the questions swim around in his blue eyes.

"And what kind of person are you?"

A small smirk broke out on my face. "Let's just say that I can do things no other can."

Before he could press the issue further, I heard that tiny buzz. Placing a finger on the ear piece, I answered. "This is Lu."

"Fury needs you and Captain down at the Bridge," Phil notified. Putting my hand down, I stood up from my seat.

"Come on, Cap. Fury needs us at the bridge." He nodded and followed suit.

Fenris looked up and abandoned his bowl of food. I grabbed my cardigan and placed it back on.

Walking back to the bridge has never been more stifling.

* * *

"You needed us?" I asked once the door slid open as Steve and I strolled in.

Phil quickly strolled over to me. I gave him a questioning glance. He glanced behind him before turning back to me. "Fury didn't really need you guys here," he confessed lowly. I gave him a look that told him to explain why he decided to have us both here if we're not needed. He sighed before explaining, "I just needed an excuse to talk to the Captain Rogers."

I suppressed a chuckle and covered it with a cough as Phil elbowed my midsection. My body racked with silent giggles as I remembered how much he idolizes Captain America. Classic fanboy. He hit me again and I swatted his hand away. "Sorry, sorry. I just- give me a moment," a couple giggles escaped through my lips. Trying to keep a straight face and gaining my composure took a minute. The laughter was gone, but I couldn't wipe the big grin off my face. "Well, I'll leave you to it then." I patted Phil's shoulder before walking towards Steve. He waited behind the railing, just surveying the room. "I guess it was a false alarm. He wants us at a close proximity in case if they do find Loki," I covered. Steve nodded before going back to what he was doing.

I inwardly sighed and took a seat at the large table. Now, it's the waiting game.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **Hello everyone! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It's just a tiny filler before all of the action happens in the next chapter.**

 **Captain still seems wary about Megan. I guess Natasha's coy ways are rubbing off on her.**

 **I'll need a bit of help from you lovely people. I can't seem to think of a superhero name for Megan.**

 **Anyone help would be greatly appreciated. Maybe the person who comments the name I chosen will be cameoed in the story sometime in the future.**

 **Until next time!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	20. Chapter 20

" _Let go of me!" I screamed. Thrashing in the man's arms, I managed to bash my head against his. I winced in pain as he let go of me with a groan. Scrambling from the floor, I raced out of what's left of my bedroom. I tipped over the small bookcase and any other pieces of furniture in the hallway to create more space between me and these men. It didn't seem to phase them in the slightest as they skillfully jumped over the tipped furniture._

" _Get her!" he yelled. Running down the stairs, a couple men blocked the front door. Gasping, I turned before another man grasped my forearm and twisted it behind my back. I yelped in pain as I was slammed against the wall. I squirmed, trying so hard to get away._

 _Suddenly, I felt the power. The wonderful raw power surge through my veins. I screamed as my whole body lit up with electricity, shocking the man that was restraining me._

 _His mouth ripped open as he screamed in anguish. I clenched my eyes shut, willing the power to keep going. I smelt the man's burning flesh as his hold became weak._

 _The man fell to the floor with a thud. I froze on the spot. I backed up against the wall with a hand over my mouth. Choking back a sob, I realized I killed someone. I killed that man._

 _Noticing the men creeping closer, I wrenched myself off the wall and sprinted into the kitchen._

 _I inhaled sharply as I felt something plunge into my neck. Jerking my head away, my hand flew to my neck. Looking at the perpetrator, it felt like my world was crashing down._

 _My vision started to fade in and out. My steps were unsteady as I fell down. It felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest. Eyes filled with tears, my head swam for reasons why. Why would they do this?_

 _The person just stared with a blank expression on their face._

 _"Dad..."_

* * *

I shot up with a gasp. My breathing was ragged as I took in my surroundings. A few nearby agents looked at me in question. Natasha looked away from the screen in worry. I felt my hands shake violently as visions of the past wouldn't leave me be. Clenching my eyes shut, I tried to even out my breathing. Breathe in, breathe out.

"Megan!" A hand placed itself on my shoulder, making me yelp and shove them away. Both of their hands clasped on my shoulders, making me look into the eyes of Phil. I couldn't hold it in any longer as I let out a sob. I felt him lift me gently by the elbow and guide me out into the hallway. Glancing up, my eyes landed on Steve before we entered the abandoned halls.

I wiped the tears that escaped my eyes as my gaze went to the floor. I sniffled and tried to contain my sobs.

"What happened?" he asked, concern laced in his voice.

"It's h-happening again," I sniveled. "My past keeps coming back to haunt me."

He sighed and wiped the remaining tears away. "Oh Megan. I'm sorry." he pulled me into a hug. I returned it and squeezed my eyes shut. We stood like this for a few before I broke the hug. I let out a shaky breath and brushed my bangs away from my face. Phil still had a worried look etched on his face. "You want to talk about it?" I frowned and shook my head.

"I just want to forget," I whispered. Forget that I was taken by Hydra, forget my parents betraying me, forget the experiments, forget everything. "Why can't they just go away? They were gone for a while, but ever since Fury recruited me for this.. this thing and that Loki guy showing up, they've been coming back."

"You can't ignore the past, you have to learn how to cope with it on your own pace. Once it's dealt with, you are free from it; and you are free to embrace your life and be the happy, loving person you are because if you don't, the past will keep coming back to haunt you," he advised.

I soaked in the words he just told me. He was right. The past always lingered on the back of my mind and resurfaces whenever I sleep. I have to learn how to focus on the present, not the past. I exhaled and nodded.

"We worry about you. Natasha, Clint, Maria, me, hell even Fury! You know that we'll always be here if you need to talk," Phil reassured after I mutely responded. I looked at him with a small smile.

"Thanks Phil." I wrapped my arms around him and he returned the gesture. "It really means so much to me." He patted my back before pulling out of the hug.

"Feel better now?" he asked. I nodded. "You want t-" Phil was cut off by hurried footsteps.

We both looked back to the Bridge door and saw Steve.

"We got a lead on Loki," he notified. Phil nodded and shot me a smile before making his way back to the Bridge with Steve behind him. Rubbing my eyes, I let out a steady, even breath before following after him.

"We got a hit. Sixty-seven percent match. Wait, cross-match, seventy-nine percent," an agent notified, looking back at Fury.

"Location?" Phil asked, his expression stoic with arms crossed. The agent looked back at the screen.

"Stuttgart, Germany. 28, Konigstrasse. He's not exactly hiding."

My brows scrunched in confusion. A person like Loki would be more secretive than this and lay low for a while. Just what is he doing all the way in Germany anyways?

"Captain, Lu. You're up," Fury ordered, snapping me out of my reverie. Steve nodded and walked off, probably to suit up.

"Megan!" Phil called. He gestured me to follow after him. I met him at the stairs as we left the room. "I got something arranged for you since you always whine about the standard suit."

* * *

Examining my reflection, I zipped the suit up until it rested against my collarbone.

This will be getting some used to.

The design input Phil put in on this suit was interesting. The swimsuit like style uses electric blue as its base and then adds black to accentuate my form. The blue sleeves blend into the long black elbow length gloves. The black boots reached up to my mid thigh. With the boots going all the way up, they needed a garter belt to help hold them up. Attached to the sides of my belt were sheaths for the knives I use. The entire outfit appears to be made of something similar to latex material.

Giving one last look over, I opened the door and bumped into a wall. Well, it felt like I did. Making a small sound of surprise, I took a step back.

"Oh! I'm sorry," I apologized before looking up at the person.

"It's okay." Steve stood in front of me in his full Captain America uniform. His cheeks suddenly tinged pink. Either he's embarrassed that I bumped into him or it's my suit. I'm guessing it's the latter. I gave a meek smile, not really knowing what to say.

"So.. Are you ready to head out?" I asked after a couple seconds of awkward silence. He nodded and spun on his heel to lead the way toward the quinjet. I had to take longer strides to match his. Curse him and his tall form.

Being a pace or two behind him, I took in his form. His suit clung to him, outlining each and every muscle on his body. I bit my lip and diverted my gaze toward the wall. I shouldn't be ogling at him at a time like this. Wait a minute… I shouldn't be ogling at all!

He cleared his throat which broke my train of thought. His stride slowed to match my own.

"Are you alright?" I looked up at him with a confused expression. "About earlier on the bridge…"

Remembering back, he asked me about the little episode I had earlier.

"I will be," I replied with a grim smile. I hope.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He looked down at me, a bit of concern in his tone.

"Just some nightmares that crept up on me. Nothing big," I replied, trying to not dwell on it.

"Are you sure?" I inwardly groaned. He's not going to let this go, is he?

"Can we just focus on capturing Loki?" I asked, my tone hard. He looked slightly alarmed at my tone. I sighed, "I'm sorry, but I just don't want to talk about it right now. Once we capture this guy, I'll tell you about it," I pacified. I felt his gaze burn the side of my face as I kept my eyes forward.

"You don't have to share it if it's personal." I let out an empty chuckle.

"Sooner or later, you'll find out. I'd rather you hear it from me than others."

* * *

"Oh look. Loki's already causing more problems," I pointed out from the front, seeing many people running away. The quinjet flew silently from above. Luckily, no one noticed. "So, what's the plan?" I asked.

"Once this is hovering over Loki, I'll go down there and disarm him from the scepter," he briefly explained.

"Wait," I called once I realized he didn't mention anything about Natasha and I. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Natasha will give Loki a chance to surrender once I get down there. You'll help me with Loki if things get rocky down there," I nodded.

"We're at level, Cap," Natasha called from the cockpit. The back of the quinjet opened.

"No parachute?" I asked him incredulously as Steve made his way to the open hatch. I shrugged the parachute securely on my back and buckled it before standing beside him.

"It's not that far of a drop," he answered before jumping off. I just stared after him in shock.

"He's right Megan. I don't think you'll need it," Natasha stated. With a sigh, I quickly unbuckled the parachute and placed it on the unoccupied seat.

"If I break my ankle, it's all on you guys!" I yelled before jumping off. The air rushed on my face, making my eyes water. Before I knew it, I landed on the ground in a crouching position with one hand on the ground to steady my balance.

"Loki, put down the weapon and stand down," Natasha warned through the intercom, pointing the quinjet's turrents at him.

Loki sends a blast of blue at the quinjet. Natasha maneuvers it just in time, giving Cap the time to throw his shield at Loki.

Screams were heard all around. I whipped my head back to see Steve fighting with Loki. Standing, I charged up my hand as I saw Loki point his scepter at Steve's head. Running toward them, I threw the ball of electricity at Loki. He was knocked off his feet and landed a couple feet away.

Kneeling on the ground, I checked for any damage on him, "Are you okay?" I asked, worry etched on my face.

Before Steve could answer, I felt something collide with the side of my face. I yelped in pain as I landed on my side. My head smacked against the pavement from the force of the blow. My vision blurred as I sat up. Touching the side of my head, I winced at the tender flesh. There was blood on my hand. Ignoring the pain, I stood up and saw Loki fling Steve to the ground.

Charging my hands, I threw more electricity toward him. He whipped around fast, deflecting my attempts. He growled in annoyance and made his way toward me. I kept throwing until he was close enough. Powering up my hand, I punched him in the face. He leaned his head back, dodging my fist.

Loki tried to slam him scepter against my head again. I back flipped to avoid the attack. Charging my whole body, I jumped in the air, propelled my body forward and slammed both my feet against his chest. He let out a grunt and landed flat on his back. Flipping backwards, I landed on both feet. Seeing that he's still down, I walked toward him. Once he was about to get up, I placed my foot on his chest.

"Do me a favor and stay down." I sent an electric volt to my feet, shocking Loki. He suddenly let out a laugh and something grabbed me behind. Whipping my head to the side, my eyes widened slightly at another Loki sneering at me before flinging me away.

My back collided with the stairs. I groaned in pain and slowly moved to my side.

Suddenly, "Shoot to Thrill" by AC/DC started to blare loudly. Turning my body, I saw two beams blast Loki on his back. A man landed and I let out a dry chuckle. I laid back down and let out a sigh of relief. About damn time.

I felt a presence at my side. Opening my eyes, I took in Steve's worried expression.

"Megan. Are you alright?" He asked before touching the side of my head. I winced and moved my head away from his hand. He gave me an apologetic look.

"I'm okay. Just a couple of bumps and bruises," I replied, waving it off.

"This gash looks pretty bad," he told me.

"Let's hope it doesn't scar." I already got enough of those. I started to get up, wincing slightly. Steve held out a hand for me and I took it gratefully. I smiled in thanks before walking toward Iron Man. Steve walked beside me.

"Make your move, Reindeer Games," Tony threatened, pointing all of his weapons at the fallen Loki. He held his hands up in surrender, his armor materializing away.

"Mr. Stark," Steve greeted, a bit exhausted from the fight.

"Captain," he greeted back. "Alright, let's go." He jostled Loki to his feet, keeping a firm grip on his arm and led him toward the landed quinjet.

Steve went to follow him, but I grabbed him forearm. "Steve." He looked down at me. "I have a bad feeling about this. What kind of villain who wants to take over the world would surrender so easily?" I questioned.

"I know the feeling. I think he's up to something," he agreed. "Now come on. I gotta check your head wound." I nodded and fell in step beside him.

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
**

 **Hi guys!**

 **I hope you guys like this long awaited chapter!**

 **Also, for Megan's suit, it's similar to Silk Spectre's suit except instead of the yellow part, it's electric blue. Sorry if the description was confusing.**

 **Since I watched The Avengers again, I've been inspired to write!**

 **Until next time!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	21. Chapter 21

Wincing, I moved my head back slightly to avoid the disinfected cotton ball.

"Don't worry, I'm almost done," Steve notified. His hand cupped under my chin, tilting my head up which made my eyes meet his bright blues. I felt myself get lost in them. He has such beautiful eyes. The way his brows furrowed slightly and how his lips parted a bit as he concentrated on lightly dabbing my head wound. I snapped out of my daze as Steve's hand left my face. I blinked a couple of times and dropped my gaze to the ground, the light blush still painted on my cheeks.

Steve discarded the bloody cotton ball and dug through the first aid kit. After a quick search, he pulled out a self-adherent foam dressing. Peeling off the wrapping, he made me look back up at him and placed the bandage on the injury.

"So what's the diagnosis, doc?" I asked with a light joking tone.

"Luckily, you don't have any head trauma and the cut isn't that deep so you don't need any stitches," he informed. I let out a sigh of relief. "But, it might leave a scar." Oh great. Just what I wanted. Another scar to add to the collection.

"Thank you for patching up my wound," I gave him a small smile. He returned it.

"It's not a problem." A sound of someone clearing their throat broke our gaze.

"If you two are done flirting," Tony remarked.

"We.. We were not flirting," I denied, glaring at him. Steve stood up from his crouching position and I think I saw a light tinge on his cheeks.

"Right.. Because staring into each other's eyes isn't flirting." I rolled my eyes and sat back, choosing to ignore what he said. "By the way, I was right all those months ago."

I raised a brow, "Right about what?"

He gave an exasperated sigh and took the unoccupied seat beside me. "The day of the party that Pepper threw for me, I asked you how you knocked Vanko flat on his ass. Remember?"

Oh yeah. I remember now. This man always pestered information out of me. I nodded.

"I didn't know you were one of Fury's henchmen… or henchwoman... More like henchgirl.. If that's a word."

"The time I worked as Pepper's assistant, I was not part of Fury's bandwagon. I told you that already when you tried grovelling to her." I looked at him before a small smirk came on my face. "Just because I can do this," I placed my finger on his exposed cheek, shocking him. He jumped in surprise and gave me a pointed look as I laughed at him. I think I heard Steve chortle and smothered it with a cough. "Doesn't mean that I was working undercover."

"Then why are you here?" Tony asked, rubbing the spot where I shocked him.

"Fury needed my expertise," I replied with a shrug.

Scoffing, Tony stood up and placed himself next to Steve.

With Loki tied up and cuffed to his seat, Tony and Steve watched from a distance, whispering.

"I don't like it," Steve stated.

"What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?"

"I don't remember it being ever that easy. Megan pointed it out before we all went back in here. This guy packs a wallop."

"Still, you are pretty spry, for an older fellow. What's your thing? Pilates?"

"What?" Steve asked, a confused expression on his face.

"It's like calisthenics," Tony explained briefly and not simply. "You might have missed a couple things, you know, doing time as a Capsicle." I groaned at Tony's nickname for Steve. They're going to get along just fine… Yeah right.

Steve looked at Tony..

"Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in," Steve commented.

"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you."

"That's the number one annoying thing about that man," I threw in dryly.

Suddenly, the sound of thunder and streaks of lightning painted the night sky. It nearly hit the jet, causing it to shake violently. Looking at Loki, he had a scared look on his face as he glanced out the window.

"Megan?" Natasha questioned. They all turned to look at me as I shook my head.

"It's not me!" I answered. "I can't control Mother Nature." Then, it all clicked. Maybe it was that Thunder God I read about. What was his name?

"What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?" Steve asked Loki.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows…"

The jet jolted, making it shake even more as if something landed on it.

Tony placed on his helmet and pushed a button to open the ramp.

Suddenly, a blond man with what appears to be a hammer in his hands landed on the ramp.

Tony charged up his repulsor beam, but the man thrusted the hammer into his chest that sent him flying back. He grabbed Loki by the throat and flew out. Steve, Tony, and I just stared after them, dumbstruck.

"Now, there's that guy," Tony pointed out the obvious.

"Another Asgardian?" Natasha asked from the pilot's seat.

"Well since he just flew out of jet, I'm pretty sure he is," I commented, standing from my seat.

"Think the guy's a friendly?" Steve asked.

"Doesn't matter. If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract's lost." Tony turns and walks toward the open ramp.

"Stark, we need a plan of attack!" Steve called after him.

"I have a plan. Attack." Tony jumped out of the jet and flew after Thor. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Steve grabbed a parachute to follow.

"Wait. You're going after them?" I asked. He nodded as he strapped the parachute on to his back. "Then, I'm coming with you." His head whipped toward me at my last statement.

I moved to grab a parachute, but a hand grasped my forearm before I could. "Megan, you're injured. I think you should stay on the jet with Natasha." I shot him a disbelieving look.

"It's just a scratch," I countered. "You and Tony might need some backup."

"Please. Just," he sighed before continuing. "Stay on the jet and that's an order." My jaw dropped at those words.

"What?" I sputtered. "So, you're just going to order me around? I thought we were all on the same team here. Teammates help each other."

"Now isn't the time," he ended the argument and grabbed his shield before stepping on the open ramp. I stared at him, utterly speechless.

"I'd sit this one out, Cap," Natasha advised.

"I don't see how I can," he answered, readying to jump off.

"These guys come from legends, they're basically gods."

"There's only one God, ma'am. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." He leaped off the jet.

I scoffed. "That man! Thinks he can order me around?"

Natasha looked back at me. "I agree with Cap on this, Megan. You got pretty banged up in Germany."

"We all signed up for this thing. Either way, somebody gets hurt." I sighed, debating if I should go after them.

"He's just worried about you. He doesn't want you to get in the middle of things and get hurt in the process," Natasha reasoned. "Listen, I'm going to land so just stay put." She pressed a button, closing the ramp.

I put the parachute back and plopped back down on my seat. I exhaled slowly, trying to calm myself down. Just breathe, Megan. You're getting worked up over nothing. Just breathe.

* * *

Apparently, Thor leveled a whole forest while they were trying to retrieve Loki. Who knew that his hammer would do that much damage once it clashed with Steve's shield? We all sat around the round glass table in the Bridge except Tony.

I glanced around the room and frowned at my missing companion.

A video of Loki in a cell appeared on the table, capturing the attention of all of us who were present.

"In case it's unclear. You try to escape. You so much as scratch that glass. Thirty thousand feet, straight down in a steel trap. You get how that works?" Fury's distinct voice rang out, warning Loki. "Ant. Boot."

I pursed my lips at the cell Loki was placed inside. Remembering back in Germany, he has the power to duplicate himself. That guy could just conjure up another one of himself and escape. Surely everyone knows that he wields some prowess in magic with or without his scepter.

Loki suddenly smirked after Fury's little warning. "It's an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me."

"Built for something a lot stronger than you."

"Oh, I've heard," Loki replied, the smirk still plastered on his face. He looked straight at the camera before continuing, "The mindless beast, makes play he's still a man. How desperate are you, that you call upon such lost creatures to defend you?"

"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and you kill `cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did."

"Ooh. It burns you to come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power." Loki darkly chuckled and turned back toward the camera. "And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share, and then to be reminded what real power is."

"Well, you let me know if Real Power wants a magazine or something." After Fury's last statement, I could have sworn I heard a hiss. Then again, I did get hit in the head earlier today.  
Fury walks off leaving Loki in his glass cell. Loki looks back at the camera, smirking. Then the live video feed was cut off.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Dr. Banner sarcastically stated.

"Loki's gonna drag this out," Steve pointed out. "Thor, what's his play?"

"He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract," Thor notified all of us.

"An army? From outer space?" Steve asked in disbelief.

I groaned lightly. Great. First, there's Loki who wields a stick of destiny and now an alien army? What next?

"So, he's building another portal. That what he needs Erik Selvig for," Dr. Banner realized.

"Selvig?" Thor inquired.

"He's an astrophysicist," Dr. Banner answered.

"He's a friend."

"Loki has him under some kind of spell. Along with one of ours," Natasha inputted. I frowned and patted her shoulder comfortingly.

"There's got to be a way to snap them out of it. Maybe a hard knock on the head?" I thought out loud. "We'll get him back. I promise." Natasha shot me a small, thankful smile and I returned it.

"I wanna know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here," Steve stated.

"What I noticed while Steve and I fought against Loki, he has the ability to duplicate himself. I had pinned him to the ground and then another one of him tossed me away. If he's able to do that, he can easily escape or send his duplicate off to do the rest of his dirty work while he just sits in that cell," I added from Steve's statement.

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki," Dr. Banner said, changing the subject. "That guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him."

"Have care how you speak," Thor boomed. He turned to face us." Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he's my brother."

"He killed eighty people in two days," Natasha deadpanned.

"He's adopted," he countered as if that tidbit would explain Loki's being.

"Iridium, what did they need the Iridium for?" Dr. Banner questioned, trying to get us back on track.

"From what I gathered on Selvig's notes, it seems like a stabilizer," I answered, thinking back two nights ago. "It'll help the portal stay open."

"Bingo!" A familiar voice called out. I turned in my seat to see Tony and Phil coming in. After they parted ways, Tony stopped next to Thor. "No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing." He patted his bicep before continuing on, "It won't collapse on itself, like it did at S.H.I.E.L.D. The portal can open as wide, and stay open as long, as Loki wants." Tony stood where Fury usually positioned himself. He faced the rest of the agents. "Uh, raise the mid-mast, ship the top sails." Whoever heard his orders gave him a look. "That man is playing Galaga!" I looked around and didn't see anyone playing it. "Thought we wouldn't notice, but we did." Tony covered one of his eyes and looked around the area. "How does Fury do this?"

"He turns," Maria answered, arms crossed with her usual stern look.

"That sounds exhausting," he dragged before switching topics. "The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he needs is a power source." Tony tapped on the monitors. My eyes zeroed in on Tony's finger as he planted something under one of the monitors. I raised a brow at him in question. He just winked in response. "A high energy density, something to kick start the cube," Tony finished with a snap of his fingers.

"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Maria questioned.

"Last night. The packet, Selvig's notes, the Extraction Theory papers?" I nodded my head, but I'm guessing from Tony's expression that no one else read them. "Am I the only one who did the reading?"

"I only understood a couple things and had to use the Internet for others, but yeah, I read it for the most part," I replied with a shrug.

"Well, I'll give you a C for effort." My eyes narrowed at him as he patted my head. I swatted his hand away and turned back around to face the table.

"Does Loki need any particular power source?" Steve asked.

"He has to heat up the cube to 120 million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb Barrier," Banner answered.

"Unless, Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect," Tony inputted.  
 **  
**"Well, if he could do that he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet."  
 **  
**"Finally, someone who speaks English," Tony commented, walking toward Banner and shook his hand.

"Is that what just happened?" Steve asked, perplexed. I just sat back on my chair, feeling just as confused as Steve.

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. You're work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled," Tony complimented. I looked at him in surprise. Wow. Tony actually just complimented someone without them being embarrassed or angry. "And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster." I mentally face palmed. Spoke too soon...

Dr. Banner looked down. "Thanks."

The Bridge doors slid open and Fury strode in. "Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube. I was hoping you might join him."

Something scratched the side of my leg. Glancing down, I smiled at those familiar icy blues. I picked Fenris up and placed him on my lap, scratching behind his ears in greeting. He purred in response and curled his tiny body. Looking back up, I continued to listen in.

"Let's start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon," Steve informed. **  
**"I don't know about that, but it is powered by the cube. And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."  
 **  
**Thor's face twisted into confusion. "Monkeys? I do not understand."  
 **  
**"I do!" Steve exclaimed. I tried to hide a laugh that wanted to escape, my shoulders shaking slightly. "I understood that reference."  
 **  
**"Shall we play, doctor?" Tony asked, gesturing to the door.  
 **  
**"Let's play some." Tony and Banner exited the bridge. I felt Natasha get up and went back to one of the computers that were locating Clint's whereabouts.

With nothing to do, I looked at the curled ball of fur on my lap. I ran my fingers through his thick, tawny fur as he slept.

The chair to my right pulled out. Looking to the side, I noticed Steve slide into the previously vacant seat.

"So, who's this?" He asked, breaking the silence. He gestured to the sleeping caracal on my lap.

"This is Fenris." I poked his side, causing him to peek out an eye before yawning. He blinked and opened both his eyes, staring at Steve. My brows rose in surprise when he didn't start hissing.

"You can pet him if you want."

Steve looked at me before staring at Fenris. He inched his hand cautiously toward him before petting his head.

Fenris closed his eyes and leaned into his touch with a soft mewl. He suddenly got up from my lap and leaped onto Steve's. Fenris curled his body on his lap. Steve rubbed his head and smiled a bit by Fenris' affection.

"I think he likes you. Normally, he would growl or hiss at most people," I told Steve, a bit stunned at Fenris' attitude.

"I guess so," Steve replied with a chuckle. I smiled. "Is he a cat? He's a bit big to be just a cat."

I shook my head. "He's a caracal. A good friend of mine gave him to me a couple months ago."

Steve nodded and tore his eyes away from Fenris. "Before we went to capture Loki," Steve started off. I already knew what he was going to ask.

"You want to know about my nightmares?" I finished. He nodded. I looked down at my folded hands.

"You don't have to talk about it if it's too personal," he reminded.

"I know, but like I said earlier, I'd rather you hear it from me."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **So, Steve is about to find out about Megan's past. From previous chapters, I'm pretty sure most of you know what went on with Megan.**

 **All will be revealed in the next chapter!**

 **Until next time!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	22. Chapter 22

Staring down at the steel table in front of me, I felt my insides turn. Gazing at my reflection off the table, my expression seemed worried. That's exactly how I felt at the moment. I felt a bit of relief when I realized that the mess hall was deserted.

I turned my head and saw Steve pour coffee into two styrofoam cups. I faced forward again. Idly, I felt my mind start to wander.

Was I ready to tell my life story? To a stranger? Why did I say those words? I'm such an idiot. I don't feel ready to share this information, but I have to.

Not everyone on board felt safe with someone that could electrocute them. Some even avidly avoided me as if I were the plague.

My train of thought was broken as a steaming cup appeared in front of me. I looked up and gave a small smile at him.

"Thanks." I grabbed the styrofoam cup and placed it on the table. The steam wafted upward, hitting me with the scent of strong caffeine. Picking up the cup again, I blew the surface lightly to cool the hot liquid. With a tentative sip, the bitter flavor hit my taste buds. My face scrunched a bit at the harsh, unpleasant flavor. It tasted like drinking the coffee grounds at the bottom of the pot: a bit gritty and not well stirred.

Setting the cup down, I let out a light sigh. Leaning my elbow on the table, I rested my head on my palm. Stirring the dark liquid, I kept my eyes on the coffee.

"Ever since I was young, I always knew I possessed something not an everyday person would possess," I began, breaking the silence. Letting go of the stirrer, I glanced at Steve. He looked at me with undivided attention. "I was ten years old when it started. I remember walking from school one day. Mother and father were too busy to take me to school so I usually walked since it wasn't too far from the house. It was snowing a lot that day and there was this man." I felt my hand clench. "I didn't know this man, but he claimed that he was friends with father. I remember it was freezing outside and he offered to give me a ride home in his car. He slowed his car so it matched my pace. Even though I was a child, I knew there was something wrong with this man. I just kept my mouth shut and started to walk faster, keeping my eyes glued to the sidewalk. He kept trying to get my attention, but I just ignored him. Then… Then, I heard a car door slam shut and felt arms wrap around me." I paused. I saw pity swim in his eyes as he listened.

My hand curled into a fist at the memory. Clearing my throat, I continued on. "He.. The man lifted me off the ground and angrily said that I shouldn't be so rude. I remember screaming and shouting for someone, anyone to help me. He tried to smother my screams, but I bit his hand and he let go of me. As soon as I fell, I felt him grab my hair. He pulled me up slapped my face. That was when I felt it. This tingling sensation spread through my body and before I knew it, he screamed in pain and fell to the ground motionless. I remember being scared out of my mind and I just ran away with no clue on what just happened to that man, but whatever it was, I was forever grateful."

"He didn't..," Steve started to ask, but the uncomfortable look he had spread across his face made him pause. I knew what he was going to ask. I shook my head.

"No, he never had the chance to. He never showed up again. I don't think I killed him either since there wasn't any news story about it. After that incident, I kept it to myself. I never really had any close friends and my parents were always at work. As I grew older, I've noticed it happen often. Whenever I was home alone, which was almost all the time, I practiced. Just charging my hand and willing it away were the only things I could accomplish at the time. Father came in my room one time and saw the electricity wrap around my fingers. I didn't know he came home early. I was so scared that he would become afraid of me, call me a freak or something. The weird thing was that he didn't question it. He just said that his mind must be playing tricks on him. After that, I noticed that they stayed home more often. I remember them telling me that they were either stressed at work or decided to work at home which were plausible reasons." Taking a sip of the bitter coffee, I let out a breath.

"Then, it happened two years ago. I just got home from work and I heard a few knocks on the front door. Thinking it was just some people trying to sell stuff, I ignored it. I got up when they kept persisting and peeked through the curtains. I saw a couple of men garbed in all black. A few moments later, the door was kicked open. I never ran so fast." My mind trailed back to the memory. "I heard them searching through the house. Glass breaking, furniture overturned. I hid in the closet, hoping they wouldn't find me. How wrong I was. There wasn't much to search through in my room, so they found me right away. These burly men snatched me out of the closet. The first man that grabbed me, I still had enough sense to fight back. He finally dropped me when I bashed my head against his nose. It wasn't a nightmare until I made it downstairs. This guy tried to restrain me, but I felt that energy surge through my veins. I killed a man that day," I confessed.

I broke eye contact. His screams echoed in my mind. Blinking, I looked at my folded hands on the table. "I was so shocked. Just seeing the charred flesh of that man…" I shook my head, trying to get the image out of my mind. "I kept running, but the next thing I know, someone tranquilized me. I couldn't believe it when my eyes met my father's. I never felt so betrayed. I mean it's my dad. Parents aren't supposed to sedate you.."

"After I woke up, I found myself strapped on a metal table in a dark room with one light looming over me. A man hovered above me with a syringe in his hand. Then, another man named Baron Strucker came into the room. According to Fury, he works for Hydra and has been experimenting on other people to create superhumans. I guess my parents told him about me since they work for him. He thought I was the perfect specimen. They drew blood from me the first couple times and tried to manipulate it so others can develop abilities. I remember almost dying from how much blood they drew from me. It was either that or malnutrition. When that wasn't enough, they took it a step further." My expression grew grim as my hand brushed against the scarring on my hip.

Steve noticed my movement as his eyes landed on my hand. "They extracted a bit of my bone marrow. It showed some improvement, but the test subjects failed to survive. I guess their bodies couldn't adjust to something they never had before." I said, remembering what Fury told me. "Sometimes, I can still feel the scalpel sinking into my skin, the needles piercing my neck when they sedate me... For nearly nine months, I've been under experimentation. Nine months of seeing the same bright white walls of my empty cell, nine months of being strapped down on a table and being dissected. There was a bit of a ray of hope the first couple of months. Two others were going through the same thing I was. They always tried to comfort me by telling stories of their past lives. I don't know if they have powers like me or if they're Strucker's lab experiments. I never even knew their names. I just hope they survived as well. It wasn't long before they transported me somewhere else. I wasn't sure where exactly, they always drugged whenever they move me. The last day of being there, I recall overhearing their conversation on wanting to take some brain tissue samples. I was surprised they put me under anesthesia that time. They never did that before. Sometimes, I still hear the buzzing of the drill coming closer to my head." I sat up and folded my hands on the table.

"Before it made contact with the side of my head, I remember hearing gunshots. I didn't know what was going on, but I heard this voice. The voice reassured me that everything will be alright. At that moment before the drugs took over my system, I never felt so relieved." I finished, looking back to Steve. "The time I spent in that hell I accepted my fate. I always thought that it would be better if it were me going through all of that instead of someone else. No one should ever experience what I went through." I said with a shake of my head. Oddly enough, it felt as though a weight was lifted a bit off my shoulders.

It was quiet once I finished my story.

"Who was it that saved you?" He asked.

"Natasha and Clint," I answered with a small smile. "I owe them my life for what they did for me. For giving me another chance at living."

"I'm sor-" I held my hand up to stop him.

"You don't have to apologize. There's nothing to say sorry for. What's done is done. I'd like to think that the time I spent in that place made me stronger." He smiled at my words and nodded in agreement.

"That is true. Not everybody can come out of that and survive," he commented.

"Even though I feared that each day would be my last, I always found hope. Hope that someone would whisk me away from that place and eventually, it happened," I explained lightheartedly.

Looking back at him, I saw him smiling at me.

Just seeing that made me do the exact same.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello everybody! Sorry it took so long for me to post this. I kept changing my mind about things and starting over. I wanted to add more, but I felt like this chapter should just cover Megan's story.**

 **Now that we know the whole story, what do you guys think? Was it good? Bad?**

 **I hope you all enjoyed it even though it was a bit on the shorter side.**

 **Please leave a review and let me know how I'm doing. I love receiving feedback!**

 **Until next time!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	23. Chapter 23

I was still in disbelief that I told this mere stranger most of my life story. Even though we met a few times, there was this feeling in my gut that told me I could trust Steve with that information. Hopefully, placing my trust in this man won't be a mistake.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked as we left the still empty canteen. He looked at me, waiting for me. "Could you.. could you keep what I told you to yourself? Only a few know my whole backstory and I intend to keep it that way."

"Of course," he responded with a nod.

I gave him a smile.

"Thank you. It's just hard to trust people nowadays."

"I understand what you mean," Steve muttered.

He must be talking about Fury sending spies to keep an eye on him. Fury did the same thing to me for the first couple weeks, but the thing was that he didn't trust me. I understand where he was coming from. Someone having power like this, I would have been a bit wary as well. I'm not even sure if he trusts me or is just feeding me bilge to help him in his cause.

Our walk continued on quietly. My eyes sometimes peeked to the man beside me and then quickly turn to Fenris as he pranced around in front of us.

"I finished that book by the way," Steve mentioned as we made our way to the lab. I wanted to see how tracking the cube was and he tagged along with me.

I felt glad that Steve didn't press on the previous subject and changed it to something completely different.

"Really?" I asked, trying to contain my inner nerd. "What did you think of it?"

"It was very interesting." I blinked at his candid answer and looked up at him.

"That's it? Just interesting?" I could see him trying to conceal a smile. Scrunching my face, I poked his shoulder. "Come on. It has to be something more than just interesting."

He chuckled and was about to respond, but Phil's voice suddenly sounded through my earpiece. I held a finger to Steve and he nodded in understanding.

"Megan, I need you down at the bridge."

"On my way," I responded before taking my finger off the piece. I shot an apologetic look to him. "I guess duty calls. I trust that you'll be able to find your way around."

"Sure. I'll just go to the lab to see if they found anything on the cube," Steve said.

"Okay, I'll meet you there later." Nodding, I turned around to backtrack. "By the way, you owe me some details!"

As I continued on, I heard a chuckle escape his lips.

* * *

"Really Phil?" I asked in a hushed tone. We stood near the railing at the top of the stairs. Phil kept an eye out on everything that was happening. It was pretty quiet inside the Bridge. All that could be heard was the sound of typing and the occasional footsteps. Since it was that silent, I wonder if others could hear this ridiculous conversation.

"Come on. It's just one tinesy favor. Besides, you both seem to be pretty close." I face palmed and groaned. "He mentioned that you guys met at that restaurant you work at."

"Why can't you ask him yourself?" I exasperatedly asked.

"I did." I merely blinked at him.

"You already did?" I asked, wanting him to confirm what he just said. He nodded as he kept his gaze forward. "Then why are you asking me to ask Steve if he could sign your trading cards?"

"To remind him. Just bring it up in conversation."

"Fine. I'll try." I begrudgingly agreed.

"Thanks Megan." Phil patted my shoulder and walked off to oversee operations with the other agents.

Looking around the room, a smile grew on my lips as I saw the other Asgardian standing off to the side near the rather large window.

Perfect.

Erasing the smile off my face, I walked toward him.

"So," I started off casually which caused his gaze to avert from the window and down to me. Wow and I thought Steve was tall. This guy takes tall to another level. But then again, he isn't exactly from around here. "I heard that you are the God of Thunder."

He chuckled, amused at my statement.

"You have heard correctly, my lady. I am Thor, Son of Odin," he introduced himself proudly. "May I know the fair lady's name?"

A smooth talker, huh?

"Megan Lu. It is nice to meet you, Thor," I held my hand out to shake his. His hand gripped mine. Instead of shaking it like I thought he was going to do, he pecked the back of my hand. I fought the blush off my cheeks, trying to keep my expression neutral.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, my lady?" Thor asked as he let go of my hand.

"Just call me Megan. No need for the 'my lady'," I said, my voice going down an octave. He startled me when his booming laughter filled the silent area, making most of the agents turn our way.

"As you wish," he complied as his laughter settled down, but the wide grin was still present.

"Since you're the God of Thunder, does that make me a Goddess of Thunder?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Goddess, you say?" I nodded in confirmation. His booming laughter broke out once again. "You jest."

My brow rose. "I'm serious."

Chuckling, he replied, "It is not possible for a simple Midgardian to wield such power."

My gaze narrowed at his chuckling form. Charging up one of my fingers, I did the same thing that I did to Tony except with more power. Jabbing my finger into his cheek, I watched the spark shock him, making him jerk his head away. That'll teach him.

Putting my hand down, he turned to me. Surprise was etched on his face. As he recovered, a laugh, not as loud as before, rang out. He patted my shoulder, making me wince. The patting seemed like he was slamming it down. That might leave a bruise.

"You are full of surprises, my lady. I never knew a Midgardian could possess something like that," he pondered. "Were you born on Midgard?"

"If you mean Earth, then yes."

"Interesting."

"Excuse me." Thor and I turned to see Phil trying to capture his attention. "If I'm not interrupting anything, I have an update on Jane Foster." Thor immediately left my side to where Phil stood in front of one of the monitors.

Guess that question will be answered another time.

"Hey Phil, could you watch Fenris? I'm going to head down to the lab and I don't really trust Stark around him." He nodded and went back to informing Thor about this Jane person.

I crouched down to Fenris' level and petted his head.

"You stay with Phil for a while okay?" He mewled in response before scampering off to Phil's side.

Straightening myself, I left.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Okay... I just want to say that I am so so so sorry for not updating in almost a month! I was stuck in a rut and didn't have the inspiration to write anything. Also, I apologize for this chapter being so short. Sadly, I'm still experiencing writer's block.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Not my best work, but on the plus side, she finally spoke to Thor!**

 **Since Thor didn't answer her question, do you guys think Megan deserves the title of Goddess of Thunder? Leave a review and tell me about it!**

 **Until next time!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	24. Chapter 24

Have you ever felt that you knew exactly where to go, but then your brain decides to forget and now you have no idea how to get there? Yup. That's what I am experiencing right now. Moments like that are the worst.

Just as I walk out of the bridge, my brain fails to remember how to get to the lab. There wasn't much help in the halls either. Most of the corridors were empty. I think I've been wandering around aimlessly for ten minutes now.

Letting out a long sigh, I trudged forward. I should have taken Fenris with me. He could have sniffed someone out.

Just as I reach the end of the hall, it split off into two ways. Should I go left or right? Eenie meenie miney...

Eh, what the hell. I'll go left.

Turning on my heel, I turned left. Just as I did, I almost ran into another agent.

"Excuse me," I said and shuffled to the side and continued.

Wait a minute…

"Oh!" I'm such an idiot! I face palmed and turned around. "Excuse me?" I called after the agent, trying to get his attention. He stopped in his tracks and turned his head back toward me. "Do you know where the lab is?"

"Yes. It's just down the hall on the right," he responded, pointing the way.

Beaming, I thanked him and continued on my way. Guess I wasn't completely lost after all.

Briskly striding down the once again empty hall, I finally got to the lab. With a sigh of relief, I stepped in as the door slid open. Hopefully, Steve didn't have to witness Tony's moments of his ginormous ego.

Both of the men looked up as I entered. I smiled at them, but it dimmed slightly when I couldn't find the man in red, white, and blue.

"Ah! Megan! Just the girl I wanted to see," Tony exclaimed as he leaned against one of the tables, eating something out of a shiny package.

"Hey Tony," I greeted with a nod. Looking over at the timid scientist who fiddled with his hands idly, I strode over and offered a hand. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure. I'm Megan Lu," I introduced myself with a smile.

"Bruce Banner," he returned it lightly and shook my hand.

"So, how's locating the Tesseract?" I asked as I went around the table and peered on to the screen.

"We're tracking it right now as we speak," Tony notified.

"That's good. I just want to go home already. This ship isn't as comforting as home." My eyes squinted at the screen he was typing at. Walking closer toward Tony, my eyes widened in shock.

"What are you do… Are you hac-"

"Hacking through S.H.I.E.L.D's files for more intel?" Tony finished as he continued to type away. "Of course."

"Tony, I don't thin-" I started.

"Great. Your siding with Spangles now?" He questioned, interrupting me.

"What?" Spangles? Who is that?

Tony let out an irritated sigh. "Look, if you're going to undermine what I am doing, there's the door," he stated exasperated. "Geez, you're starting to sound like Pepper." I heard him mutter under his breath.

"Hey, I'm just looking out for you. We don't want another fiasco like Vanko," I threw back, my lips forming into a thin line. Sometimes people need to be like Pepper around Tony and his antics.

"And it won't be. Once I get into S.H.I.E.L.D's files, I will know every little thing they're hiding from us." Narrowing my eyes on the screen, I watched as he typed away, decoding more files while digging deeper.

"Let me guess, Fury's rapt attention on retrieving the cube made you suspicious of him?" I spoke out, already knowing that is the sole reason why he's doing this.

"It is suspicious that S.H.I.E.L.D wants to do something with the power that the Tesseract contains," Dr. Banner voiced his opinion.

"How long will this process take?" I sighed in defeat, giving in to Tony's tomfoolery.

"Well, I've been running a decryption programmer for a couple minutes now. Probably we'll have results in half an hour? Depends on how secure these files are, but then again, I created this so it will be in no time," Tony answered, a bit boastfully.

I rolled my eyes. Some people never change.

"Have you guys seen Steve perchance?" I asked, taking a seat on one of the vacant chairs. "I was supposed to come here earlier with him, but Phil needed me for something."

"Capsicle?" Tony scoffed. "Don't know, he just threw a hissy fit and left." Oh great.

"What did you do?" I asked a bit irked before he continued.

"Me? I didn't do anything."

"You always make fun of someone or come up with some nickname for people you dislike. Either that person was insufferable or they just don't have the same views as you. I know that Steve isn't a moron so he probably didn't like how you were handling the situation at hand."

"Oh and you suddenly know this guy's personality?"

"We all know that man isn't idiotic. Otherwise, he wouldn't be here right now. If we were all recruited to do something like this, there is no room for nonsense."

Tony opened his mouth to retort, but the lab door slid open. Glancing toward the doorway, I saw Fury march in with a surprised expression.

"What are you doing, Mr. Stark?" Fury questioned, his expression turning angry.

"Uh… Kind of been wondering the same thing about you."

"You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract," Fury reminded with his warning tone still present.

"They are," I notified as his head snapped toward me.

"Ms. Lu, I do not recall giving you authorization to assist Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner."

"You didn't. I just came here to check up on everything."

"The model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile," Banner added.

"See? No problem at all," I finished.

"And you'll get your cube back. No muss, no fuss." Something popped up on the screen. Tony's attention averted to it. My brow furrowed as I strode over to see. All of the secure files were successfully opened and in view. Phase 2? "What is Phase 2?"

A loud clank broke my concentration on the screen. Turning my head, I saw Steve drop some sort of gun on the metal table. From his stern expression, he was not very pleased with what he found.

"Phase 2 is S.H.I.E.L.D using the cube to make weapons," Steve notified. "Sorry, the computer was moving a little slow."

I blinked in disbelief as I looked back at Fury. He opened his mouth to say something.

"I thought that S.H.I.E.L.D wasn't the type for mass destruction Director," I interjected with my arms crossed.

"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract," Fury started, trying to explain. "This does not mean tha-"

"I'm sorry, Nick." Tony flipped the monitor towards all of us to see as what seems to be blueprints of piecing a weapon that ran on the cube's energy. "What were you lying?" We all had our eyes zeroed in on Fury, waiting for an explanation. Tony turned the screen back towards him. "Huh. I didn't know Megan is part of these plans."

Everyone's attention turned to me. I furrowed my brows. "What? That's ridiculous. There is no way I would agree to something like this!" I spat out, disgusted of the thought of it.

"Mr. Stark," Fury warned, taking a step toward us.

"I know you wouldn't Megan, but that is not what I am referring to. What I am referring to is that our dear director wants to harness your powers if Phase 2 fails to utilize the Tesseract's energy."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Dun dun dun!**

 **Bet you guys didn't see that coming? How do you guys like that little twist?**

 **SHIELD wants to harness Megan's electric ability to create weapons of mass destruction! As if the Tesseract wasn't enough...**

 **How do you guys think Megan will react to this? Oh Fury... You have a lot of explaining to do.**

 **Also, I have some good news! The semester is finally over and I can concentrate more now on the story! :D**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review and tell me how the story is.**

 **Thank you all for sticking with the story. I appreciate it so much!**

 **Until next time!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	25. Chapter 25

As soon as those words left Tony's mouth, my mind went blank.

Everything seemed to fade away into the background as his words echoed in my head.

Harness my powers? For weapons?

Blinking, I stepped closer and peered at the screen for confirmation.

"What?" I asked in a whisper. Shaking my head, I read the words printed on the screen.

 _Phase 3: Operation E.L.E.C.T.R.I.C_

 _If Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. fails, Operation E.L.E.C.T.R.I.C. is to be initiated immediately. An energy alternative that will transform regular ammunition for weaponry. Electrical blasts will be released when triggered to terminate/incapacitate the target._

 _Subject for Energy Extraction: Megan Lu._

 _The subject contains the ability to produce electrical energy. It appears to not harm the subject, but those who come in contact with it. Experimentation measures must be taken into account once subject is contained. Conducting of a series of experiments, we will test control of the variables that affect the behavior or biological system under study._

"What?" I seethed. Whipping my body to face the accused man, I marched up to him with a glare so fierce that Fury took a step back. "You were planning to experiment on me?" I yelled the question in his face. My hand formed into a fist as I felt the raw energy surge through me, but I kept it at bay.

"Megan, S.H.I.E.L.D did not give the direct ord-"

"Bullshit," I abruptly cut him off. "I just read the report and it has been confirmed that if the Tesseract fails, I'll be the next energy source."

My mind reflected back on the first conversation I had with this man.

"Is that why you were so keen on finding me? Just a backup in case if the real thing is a bust? I am not something you can just poke and prod! I already endured almost a year of that!" Tears clouded my vision, but I tried to keep them at bay. Fury remained neutral as he looked down on me. I thought I could trust these people. "You know, I thought that S.H.I.E.L.D was better than this. A beacon of hope for the people who need help and for the greater good, but it turns out that it's no better than Hydra."

"Megan, calm down and let me explain," Fury coaxed as he stared down at me.

"There is nothing to explain!" I exploded. "It's all there! You just keep those petty excuses to yourself, Nick." I felt a hand settle itself on my tense shoulder. Looking over, I saw Steve's gaze soften as he signaled me to stop. Not looking back at that insipid man, I walked away and stood next to Steve.

"I was wrong, director. The world hasn't changed a bit," Steve commented, the austere expression still in place.

At that moment, Thor and Natasha walk into the lab. Natasha. Did she know about Phase 3? Did Clint? Phil? Maria? My thoughts spiraled. They must have known. They work closely with Fury and this organization. Who's to say that they were the ones monitoring my ability and reporting back to him about their findings? Is that why they were so intent on being more than just some people that 'saved me'?

A frustrated tear escaped and cascaded down my face. I don't know what to believe anymore.

I shouldn't have trusted anyone.

Trust is only an open window for people to manipulate you for their gain.

"Did you know about this?" Banner asked with an infuriated look, getting straight to the point as he gestured to the monitor.

"You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?" Natasha questioned him, not taking her gaze off of him.

"I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed."

"Loki's manipulating you," she notified him, watching his movements.

"And you've been doing what exactly?" Banner countered.

"You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you."

"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy. I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract or human experimentation on Ms. Lu to build weapons of mass destruction."

I saw Natasha's eyes flick toward me.

"Because of him," Fury finally said, pointing at the Asgardian.

Thor's expression was stunned, "Me?"

"Last year, Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned."

Thor immediately became defensive, "My people want nothing but peace with your planet."

But you're not the only people out there, are you? And, you're not the only threat." Fury's gaze turned toward me before it directed back to Thor. "The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, they can't be controlled."

"You can't control people. People have their own free will. Have you so ill faith in humanity that you feel the need to control them? Control me?"

"And like how you control the cube?" Steve added.

"You're work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies. It is the signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war."

"A higher form?" Steve inquired incredulously.

"You forced our hand. We had to come up with something," Fury argued back.

"And that's what you came up with? Weapons that could decimate and threaten the lives of others?" I hissed out, my glare more fierce than before.

"Nuclear deterrent. 'Cause that always calms things right down," Tony threw in sarcastically. Fury's gaze shifted to Tony.

"Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?" Fury countered.

I sighed in frustration. Why did I sign up for this crap? I feel a migraine coming on. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I took a deep breath and steadily exhaled. I don't think I could calm down after something like this.

Suddenly, it was like a yelling match in the lab. Everyone had to say something about another person. The egos of these people were so big, they keep clashing into each other.

"Can everybody just shut up?!" I screamed, which made everyone stop their bickering and snap their head toward me. I opened my mouth to continue, but Thor interrupted.

"You speak of control, yet you court chaos." His expression was far from amused.

"It's his M.O., isn't it? I mean, what are we, a team? No, no, no. We're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're... we're a time-bomb," Banner stated. Well, he's more like a time-bomb.

"You need to step away," Fury warned firmly.

"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?" Tony piped in, placing his hand on Steve's shoulder. I guess Steve was sick of Tony's attitude and swiped that hand off.

"You know damn well why! Back off!" Tony stood in front of him.

"Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me," Tony replied in a low tone.

"Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?" Steve asked as he circled around Tony.

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist," Tony answered, looking at him with narrowed eyes. Mentally face palming, I shook my head. These guys.

"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you."

"Steve, that's enough. This is not going to solve anything," I stated, but my words fell on deaf ears.

"Yeah, I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."

"I think I would just cut the wire," Tony asserted.

Steve had a sarcastic smile on his face. "Always a way out... You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."

Tony snapped. "A hero? Like you?" Tony scoffed. "You're a lab rat, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle!"

"Put on the suit. Let's go a few rounds," Steve pressed on. Thor's booming chuckle sounded through, making us all turn toward him.

"You people are so petty," Thor insulted. "And tiny." My jaw dropped at that because his gaze settled on me when he finished his sentence. Do people have to make jabs on how my height? It's not my fault I only stand at 5'1.

"Hey! Just because I'm short, doesn't mean I can't fry you," I threatened as I lifted a charged hand. Thor's expression was unimpressed. Discharging it, I crossed my arms. I am just fed up with this Avengers thing.

"Yeah, this is a team," Banner voiced sarcastically.

"Agent Romanoff, would you escort Dr. Banner back to his-" Fury ordered, tired of the fighting.

"Where? You rented my room." Bruce questioned.

"The cell was just in ca-"

"In case you needed to kill me, but you can't! I know! I tried!" The room went dead silent after that statement. My eyes grew wide at Bruce's words. "I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out! So I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good, until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk!" He visibly became more angry as he looks at Natasha. "You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?"

Slowly, my hand inched for the pistol strapped to my hip as I notice Bruce held the scepter in his hand. I kept my eye on him in case he made any sudden moves.

"Dr. Banner," Steve called, getting his attention. "Put down the scepter."

He looks down at his hand and was shocked when he sees the glowing scepter in his grasp. A beeping sound rang through, breaking him from his trance. He placed it back down on the table.

"Sorry kids. You don't get to see my party trick after all," He finished, striding toward the computer with Natasha hot on his heels.

"Located the Tesseract?" Thor questioned.

"I can get there faster!" Tony called.

"Tony, we should all have a plan. You can't just go there blindly," I tried to reason.

"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard, no human is a match for it," Thor stated firmly.

"I should take it back to Asgard with him so it won't fall into the wrong hands again." Thor shot me a thankful nod, which I returned.

Tony turned to leave, but Steve grabbed his forearm, stopping him from going further.

"Megan's right. We have to have a plan. You're not going alone!" Steve said. Tony yanked his hand off him.

"You gonna stop me?"

"Put on the suit. Let's find out," Steve taunted. Tony faced Steve again as they started to argue again.

"Oh my God," Bruce whispered. My brows furrowed as I made my way over.

"What's the prob-"

I felt myself being thrown as the room suddenly exploded. My back and head slammed on one of the lab tables painfully before banging my head on the floor. Groaning, I rolled onto my side to lessen the pain. What the hell just happened? As I opened my eyes, my vision was unfocused and there was a terrible ringing sound that made me wince.

"Megan, are you all right?" A slightly muffled voiced asked. Someone helped me sit up. The room spun a bit as I shook my head. Looking to my side, I saw Steve's worried eyes peer into mine. Thankfully, his arm around me kept me steady as he helped me stand. "You're bleeding." I tentatively touched the back of my head and winced slightly as I felt the wound.

"It's fine," I said, waving it off. "Go help Tony." He nodded before running off. "Steve!" He turned his head back toward me as he made to the door. "Stay safe."

"You too," he replied before running after Tony.

"Lu. Get to the detention section with Agent Coulson," Fury ordered. I nodded before running off.

Even though I'm still pissed about Phase 3, it can wait until later when everyone is safe.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Wow. S.H.I.E.L.D. is not what Megan thought it was at all.**

 **I hope you guys like that little twist. I tried coming up with the meaning of E.L.E.C.T.R.I.C, but everything I came up with seemed childish..**

 **How would you guys react if you were in Megan's shoes?**

 **If she were me, I would have punched Fury in the face!**

 **What would you guys do?**

 **Also, I just had to throw in a Megan and Steve moment (:**

 **Hope you guys liked this chapter!**

 **Until next time!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	26. Chapter 26

Sprinting through the halls, it was utter chaos. Many agents zipped past me, armed with their pistol. Some were yelling orders to each other and others were helping another pick up scattered equipment or assisting someone to the infirmary.

Dodging agents left and right proved to be a feat as I made it to the stairway. I almost fell over when the Helicarrier quaked, but thankfully, I stuck close to the wall and it helped me stay standing..

With quick steps, I made it to the lower levels with no trouble. Once I stepped off the last stair, I pulled the gun out from the holster. Peeking my head out of the corner, I quietly made my way down the deserted hallway.

I saw a tall, blonde blur enter the detention center. Clicking off the safety, I made my way toward the door with the gun pointed ahead of me. With a quick glance through the doorway, I saw Thor trapped inside where Loki is supposed to be held.

Thor made eye contact. I shook my head and held a finger to my lips to keep him silenced.

"Are you ever not going to fall for that?" I overheard as I slowly crept in. Loki. How the hell did he get out of his cage?

Seeing a guard with his back facing me, I stopped right behind him before I slammed the butt of the gun on his temple which knocked him out instantly. Before the guard fell, I caught him and placed him noiselessly on the ground.

"The humans think us immortal. Should we test that?" Loki questioned his brother, his finger hovering over the drop button.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," I voiced as I kept my pistol trained on Loki, preparing to shoot him if he made any sudden moves toward the button. "Now, step away from the console," I ordered with a glare. He raised his hands up and backed up from it.

"Ah! Well, well. If it isn't the weedy ill-nurtured harpy," Loki called with a smug grin on his face. He's trying to get a rise out of me. My expression didn't waver in the slightest. Even though I'm not exactly sure what the meaning of his insult was, it wasn't that hard to keep glaring at him. He let out a breathy chuckle.

"If you surrender now, the repercussions won't be that severe," I warned with a light tone.

"And why would I do that, Lady Lu?" He questioned. He took a step toward me.

"Because I know that something bigger than you is ordering you to do this." He cocked his head, intrigued. "Tricksters don't kill people nor strive for world domination."

"You know nothing. Those Midgardian tales are just tales. Not every tale shines truth."

"But, that's what you are. A trickster. Someone who possesses a great deal of intellect and plays tricks on others." As soon as that sentence leaves my lips, I felt a presence behind him.

"There's a glimmer of truth after all," Loki whispered before his fingers wrapped around my neck. The Loki in front of me smirked before he disappeared. My eyes widened. My back collided with the wall as Loki's fingers squeezed my windpipe, making me drop my pistol. I started to choke from the lack of oxygen, clawing at his hands. "I have seen things that you may never witness. My eyes have been opened when I was too blind to see what lies in front of me. A better world."

"You're never going to see it," I choked out. Sparking my hands, I shocked him as he let me go. I landed with a thud on the ground, wheezing as air coursed through my lungs.

As I crawled away, I felt a swift kick land on my ribs. I shouted in pain as I was knocked on my back. I heard Thor yell through the glass. I saw the glow of the scepter right above me.

"On the contrary, you won't be seeing it." He plunged it forward, but I immediately rolled away before it made contact to my chest. Quickly unsheathing one of my knives, I threw it at his face.

A grunt was heard as I got back to my feet, grabbing the other knife. A large cut was on his cheek. He wiped the blood off before intensely glaring at me. He charged at me, the scepter posed to strike. I sidestepped and ducked as he swung it. Swiping his feet, I knocked him on the ground. Standing, I raised my leg vertically as high as I could and then brought down my heel against the his head.

He raised his scepter just in time to stop my leg and sweep me off my feet. I landed with a grunt and scrambled to get off my back, but I was too slow. I froze as I felt the tip of his weapon against my throat. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I made eye contact with Loki. He had a smug smirk on his face. I returned it with a hard glare.

"For a Midgardian, you have fought valiantly," Loki commented. I tried to charge one of my hands, but he pressed the tip. I felt something drip down the side of my neck. "Too bad it was all in vain." He raised the scepter as I closed my eyes, bracing for impact.

You know, for a long time now, I've accepted my fate: whether I live or die. There's nothing for me. I don't have a family and I'm not sure if I can trust those people I called friends. I always have this one thought race through my mind: why do I keep doing this? What's the point?

"Step away from her please," a voice ordered. Phil.

Loki broke eye contact with me, but still kept his weapon at my throat.

"You like this? We started working on the prototype after you sent The Destroyer. Even I don't know what it does. Because if you don't stand down, you'll find out," Phil threatened before I heard a sharp gasp and Thor yelling. The Loki above me dissipates as I turned to witness something that broke me. Tears flooded my eyes as my body started to shake.

"Phil!" I screamed. Phil stood with blood oozing on to his once clean shirt and Loki's scepter through his chest.

Loki sends him against the wall. Phil slid down, breathing fast. I crawled towards him and sobbed as I saw how torn his chest was. I gingerly tried to put pressure on the wound, but the grunt of pain that escaped signaled it was too painful.

"Phil, stay with me," I whimpered. "It's.. it's going to be alright, just stay with me please," I pleaded, trying to think on how to stop the bleeding. "I need a med team at the detention center asap!" I yelled into the earpiece. Feeling the presence behind me, I charged my hand and thrusted it in his chest. He needs to back up!

It knocked him back and a bright beam zipped past me and collided into Loki, resulting him crashing through the wall.

Looking back down, I saw Phil with that gun in his hand. "So that's what it does."

Kneeling beside him, I placed the weapon he used on the floor. "You shouldn't have come down here, Phil. I could have handled that asshole."

He wheezed out a chuckle, coughing slightly. I slipped my hand in his. Tears cascaded on my face as I saw blood on the corner of his lips.

"You would have been dead if I didn't come," he rasped. I sniffled and wiped the blood away from his face.

"You know me. I always find some sort of outlet." He smiled, but grimaced from the pain. He opened his mouth, but I stopped him. "You're going to survive this, Phil. The med team will be here any second. Do you hear me? You.. you still have to introduce me to Audrey, remember?"

"Of course I will."

"And I'll make you your favorite mini donuts. Not those Little Debbie ones."

"I'd like that," Phil breathed out. I gave him a watery smile and held his hand with both of mine, placing a kiss on them.

"It's going to be okay," I whispered as I nodded.

A gentle hand placed itself on my back. I looked over my shoulder and faced Fury. Not letting go of his hand, I scooted over to the side so Fury could look over him.

"Sorry, boss. They got rabbited," Phil informed.

"Just stay awake. Eyes on me," Fury ordered. I noticed Phil's breathing start to slow down. I felt him weakly squeeze my hand.

"No," he whispered. "I'm clocked out here."

"Not an option."

"It's okay, boss. This was never going to work... if they didn't have something... to…" Looking at Phil, he gave his last breath. His hand became limp in mine.

"Phil?" I whimpered. "Come on, Phil. This isn't funny. Phil?" I whispered brokenly. No response.

As much as I tried to hold it in, the pain came out like an uproar from my throat in the form of a silent scream. The droplets of water started to stream down one after another, with no sign of stopping. The muffled sobs wracked against my chest. The world turned into a blur, and so did all the sounds. The taste. The smell. Everything was gone. The last painful emotion slammed against my chest before I lost the feeling of feeling.

Today, I lost Phil Coulson **.**


	27. Chapter 27

As my eyes slowly opened, I noticed my hand wrapped around another. Turning my head, I saw Steve's worried gaze down at me.

"You're awake," he stated. I nodded as I took in my surroundings. I think I was in one of the unoccupied med bay cots.

"What happened?" I asked him as I steadily sat up. Looking down, I was still clad in the black and blue uniform.

"What was the last thing you remember?" he inquired. My eyebrows furrowed in thought.

Like a great rush of water, what happened came back to me.

Phil.

Just the thought of his lifeless body with blood seeping out of his chest broke me.

"Is..is he… really..?" I looked back at Steve. His eyes said everything. That he's really gone.

I bit my tongue, trying to hold the tears that threatened to escape my eyes. And that's when I couldn't contain them any longer. First, one small crystal bead fell from my right eye. I felt the warmth, sliding down my cheek, and rolling off my chin. Then another followed. And another. Until my eyes flooded with them, coming like a rainfall. Sniffing every ten seconds, they fell, and fell, and I let them.

I lost Phil.

Phil- overly fierce and positive, like my personal ray of sunshine.

My friend, my confidant… Gone.

Even though I've known him for a bit more than a year, he was more than a friend to me.. More like a father figure. He was my guide when I felt lost.

I felt his hand squeeze mine to console me. He didn't say anything, just gave me time to grieve. I was thankful because I don't think I could muster anything at the time.

I'm not sure how much time has passed, but the tears finally ceased. Sniffling, I shakily exhaled.

"Did anyone else…" Get hurt? Lost? Killed?

I heard Steve sigh beside me. "We lost contact with Dr. Banner and Thor."

I nodded wordlessly.

I swung my legs over the bed and stood. Steve stood as well.

"Are you alright now?" He asked.

"No," I answered truthfully, my crestfallen expression morphed into something inscrutable. I don't know when I'll be okay. I let go of his hand. I lifted my head and looked at Steve. I opened my mouth to say something, but he had a faraway look on his face.

A couple seconds passed before he looked at me. "Fury needs me at the briefing room. I'll be back," he told me. Nodding, I heard the door shut.

Walking over to the sink, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were puffy and my face was red. Turning on the sink, I rinsed the dried tears off my cheeks.

Phil's time was never meant to end there at the hand of Loki. He still had so much to do. Get married, have kids, and live a happy long life. Now, he'll never have the chance to experience any of this. And it's all his fault. It's all Loki's fault.

My fists began to clench and my jaw rooted. He did this. He killed Phil.

Hate and enmity welled up in my heart, fury itself burning me up.

It felt like there was a red haze clouding my vision, making everything slightly off as I felt my entire body shake. I couldn't stop as an anguished yell tore through my lips, even before I punched the mirror, getting shards of glass over the sink and the floor.

My heart pounded fit to burst. My hand should hurt, but the material of the gloves saved it from damage.

Breathing heavily, I slid my hand off where the mirror once hung. The crunch of the glass trailed down the now bare wall.

I'm going to kill him if it's the last thing I do.

* * *

I stared unblinking. My eyes just couldn't shift their gaze.

I had thought myself awake, but I can't be. This has a nightmare of sorts, more vicious than most, more lucid.

All that was left of the blood that had once flowed thick and scarlet in his veins clung to the wall. A dried patch of brown had formed when he died. No one bothered to clean it up. Seeing that there was just a constant reminder of what happened just a few hours ago.

"Not surprised to see you here," an all too familiar voice sounded, breaking me from my trance.

I merely shrugged my shoulders, still staring at the same spot. "I started walking and then I ended up here."

He sighed and I heard his footsteps echo as they inched closer to where I stood.

"I watched it all happen right in front of me. I fought Loki and he had me pinned to the ground, the scepter at my throat. Then, Phil came in. He tried to stop Loki from killing me, but he…" I shook my head, trying to clear my mind. With a small exhale, I continued, "The Loki that was above me was just an illusion. A double that faded and the real one ended up being behind Phil."

I let out a hollow chuckle as I shook my head. "I should have seen it coming. I mean he did the same thing back in Germany…" Scratching my head, I exhaled slowly. "Seeing that scepter going through his chest, I knew I was going to lose him. A hit like that is fatal to anyone. I felt that he knew that as well, but he still fought through it. The immense pain he felt, he fought to stay awake for me and everyone else."

"Was he married?" A new voice asked. Steve either must have known I was here or he followed after Tony.

"No. There was a uh...cellist, I think," Tony answered.

"Audrey. He was completely infatuated with her. I never personally met her, but he mentioned her from time to time." Poor Audrey. I wonder how she will take the news of Phil's death.

"I'm sorry," Steve apologized. "He seemed like a good man."

"He wa-"

"He was an idiot," Tony stated. Blinking, I turned to glare at Tony.

"He was a good man. Just because he didn't see that coming doesn't make him an idiot," I countered.

"He should have waited instead of trying to face off with a freaking demigod. He should have…"

"Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony," Steve intercepted before Tony continued. Tony started to walk toward him.

"Right. How did that work for him?" He asked sarcastically, striding past Steve.

"Is this the first time you lost a soldier?" At that statement, Tony turned around sharply.

"We are not soldiers," Tony snarled.

"We are not Fury's pawns," I responded. My tone was a bit bitter considering what was planned for me if they didn't accomplish phase 2.

"I am not marching to Fury's fife."

"Neither am I!" Steve chimed, looking at Tony and then at me. "He's got the same blood on his hands as Loki does. Right now we've got to put that aside and get this done." Steve is right, all of this needs to be put in the backburner for now. We got to take action against Loki for all the lives he took. "Now Loki needs a power source, if we can put together a list…"

I leaned against the railing with my arms crossed.

"He made it personal," Tony commented.

"That's not the point."

"That is the point," he emphasized. "That's Loki's point. He hit us all where we live. Why?"

"To tear us apart," Steve and I answered in unison.

"He had to conquer his greed, but he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That's what he wants. He wants to beat us and he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience."

"Right. I caught his act in Stuttgart."

"Yeah. That's just a preview, this is opening night. Loki's a full-tilt diva. He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built in the skies with his name plastered…" Tony paused as realization crossed on all of our faces. Stark Tower.

"Son of a bitch."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello my lovely readers! It has been so long since I have updated. I had a difficult time writing for what will happen this chapter. It was more based on Megan's emotional turmoil on Phil's death.**

 **Also, I have finally gotten around to watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and wow! It is an amazing show! I wished I watched it sooner! Now, I just need to wait for Season 3 to be on Netflix.**

 **In the future, should I make a reunion chapter with Phil?** **I might, but I want to know what you all would think about that.** **Let me know by leaving a review.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed reading this long awaited chapter!**

 **Until next time!**

 **-YoullBeAvenged**


	28. Chapter 28

"You have to stay here, buddy. It will be much more safer up in the air than down there," I told him, his big, blue eyes peering into mine. "And I need you to stick close to Fury. I can't afford to lose you too." I rubbed the spot behind Fenris' ears as he leaned toward my hand. I smiled as I held him. Even though Fury is on the top of my shit list, Fen will be safer with him than me as much as I hate to say.

I pecked his furry head before placing him on the floor. With one last purr, he scampered through the open door and sat beside Fury's feet.

"Ready to go?" A voice asked from behind me.

I nodded and turned to face Steve, Natasha, and Clint.

"It's great to have you back, Clint," I expressed with a small smile. He returned it.

"Let's go get that son of a bitch," Clint declared as he continued on toward the hanger with Natasha beside him. I stifled a snort at his choice of words. I made to follow after them, but Steve's hand stopped me. Looking at Steve, I noticed how intense his gaze was. He looked like he was internally struggling with something.

"Steve?" I voiced a bit concerned, breaking him from his thoughts. "Is everything alright?"

"When this is all over, there's something I gotta ask you." His grip loosened as he let go of my forearm.

"Okay," was all I said. We both jogged after Clint and Natasha.

Let's finish this once and for all.

* * *

All four of us entered an already open Quinjet. A guy must have heard us as he hastily emerged from the cockpit.

"H-hey, you guys aren't authorized to b-"

Steve shot him a stern look, "Son… just don't." I snorted quietly at his wording. Just how he said it sounded like how an elderly man would.

The man opened his mouth to say something.

"I'd listen to him if I were you," I piped up before he spoke. With a tiny smirk, I continued, "After all, he is the captain."

Seeing him gulp slightly on how all of us stared him down, he gave a nod before scurrying out of the quinjet.

Once he was out of sight, I let out a snort of laughter. "Did you see that kid's face? Oh man. That moment right there would be movie gold. Badass." With that, I strode inside the quinjet.

Strapping myself on my seat, I looked back at the other three and saw they didn't move from their spots.

I quirked a brow. "What are you guys waiting for? We have a world to save!"

* * *

Okay.

We are flying out to Manhattan.

We are going to stop Loki from causing a catastrophe.

We are going to fight aliens.. From another planet..

Oh man…

I felt my stomach turn at the thought. Aliens? How the hell can we beat that. Looking at my hands, I suddenly remembered. A tiny trickle of energy pulsed through my hand before dissipating.

I know that I failed Phil, but this time, I have to protect everyone from danger. No matter what the cost is.

Exhaling, I started to tie my hair back.

"You alright?" Steve asked across from me. I looked back at him. He must have sensed how nervous I felt judging by his sudden question.

"Of course. I mean, we're just flying out to New York to stop Loki," I reassured with a head nod, but I wasn't sure if I was reassuring him or myself. "Oh. Did I mention we are going to face aliens from outer space?" I let out a hesitant chuckle as I sat back.

"I know this situation is something none of us had experienced," he started. I gave him a look. I don't think anybody on Earth experienced a deranged demigod attempting to enslave the world! "But, all of us have experienced fighting for what is right. For us and all of those around us. To protect those who need it."

He was right. All of us have fought to protect others before this whole fiasco happened. Clint and Natasha do that on a daily basis. I've done it back in Germany and back when Vanko wreaked havoc. We didn't have to know the people we saved, we just knew it was right to protect them.

Before I realized it, we already entered Manhattan's city limit. Unbuckling the seat restraints, I held on to the bar above me and made my way toward the cockpit.

Looking through the window, it was complete and utter chaos.

"Loki has been a busy boy..," I commented with a head shake.

"Stark, we're heading north east," Natasha voiced.

"What, did you stop for drive-thru?" Tony questioned sarcastically as his voice rang through my earpiece. "Swing up park, I'm gonna lay 'em out for you."

The quinjet turns as we make our way to Tony's location. Natasha shot down the Chitauri that were tailing after him.

Flying back toward Stark Tower, Loki and Thor fought against each other.

"See them."

Loki must have noticed us as he points the scepter toward us and fired a blast of energy. It hit one of the jet's wings as I felt myself jerk to the side suddenly. I felt an arm wrap around my waist, helping me grip on to the handles at the ceiling. Looking beside me, I saw Steve holding on as well with one of his arms wrapped securely around my waist. My face started to flush at the close proximity. Now is not the time to act like a silly little girl!

I held on with all my might as we jerked around. My legs flailed around as the quinjet spun slowly, but quickly descended. Before we knew it, we crashed into the street.

As the quinjet finally stopped moving, Steve and I let go of the handles. Even though we landed somewhat safely on the ground, his arm never left my waist. I peered up at him as he looked down at me.

"You alright?" he asked, a bit out of breath.

"Yeah," I replied, clearly shaken by what just happened. "And you?" He nodded, his eyes not leaving mine. It was quiet between us as we just simply stared at each other.

A throat cleared as we tore our gaze from each other. Clint had a raised brow at us and a ghost of a smirk was on Natasha. I felt my cheeks burn. Steve removed his arm and took a step back.

"You both okay?" I asked, looking at Natasha and Clint as they nodded. I'm glad they didn't say anything about what just happened. Knowing them, they're going to tease me about it later. If there is a later.

The ramp opened, revealing all of the destruction that has happened in a matter of minutes. Steve, Natasha, Clint and I sprinted out.

Vacant cars, terrified people running for their lives, and rubble littered the streets. We came to a halt as a inhuman guttural roaring sounded through amongst all the chaos.

Looking up, my jaw dropped as a behemoth slithered through the portal. I couldn't help but gawk at the creature as it passed by us. What the hell is that thing?

Chitauri soldiers popped out from the sides of it, flinging themselves on sides of buildings. More of them flew out of the portal as well.

"Stark, are you seeing this?" Steve questioned through the comms as we all stared at what was happening.

"I'm seeing, still working on believing. Where's Banner? Has he shown up yet?" Tony asked.

"Banner?"

"Just keep me posted."

"We have to find some cover," Steve said, looking around. Looking around, there was rubble and overturned vehicles.

"Over there by the taxis," Clint voiced before sprinting toward them. Swiveling around, I ran after them and ducked behind. "There's civilians trapped-"

A couple of chitauri and Loki flew past us. They opened fire on the crowd of terrified people. All I saw were explosions and smoke.

"We gotta help those people down there," I voiced. A plasma beam was shot, missing me by at least a foot. Looking ahead, I saw some chitauri soldiers land nearby as more plasma beams tried to take us down.

Charging my hand, I threw the ball of energy at them. Two down.

Natasha whipped out her pistols and opened fire as Clint shot an arrow that took out a couple.

Standing, I sprinted to another taxi and crouched as a shot whizzed by my head.

"You think you can hold them off?" Steve asked us. I looked at him and nodded.

"Captain, it would be my genuine pleasure." He nodded at all of us before jumping into the streets below.

Peeking over the hood, at least a dozen of them were firing at us. Ducking quickly, I charged both of my hands and placed them near each other to create a much larger electrified ball.

Standing, I chucked it at the small group of chitauri. It made contact with them as they were electrocuted before crumpling to the ground, dead. I smiled as I breathed.

"Megan!" Turning my head away from the chitauri corpses, my eyes landed on Clint helping people out of a bus. Looking at Natasha, she nodded at me as she reloaded her pistols. I nodded back before sprinting toward Clint. Natasha stood, firing bullet after bullet while she covered for me.

Pressing my body on the bus, I helped a young girl out of the window. I looked around for the door. It would take too long to get a person out one by one. Looking to my left, I yelled for Clint to help me pry the door open. We both ran at one side of the door before pulling it open. With the both of us, it didn't take that long. People spilled out of the bus and started to run for safety.

After all the people fled, I ran toward Natasha and charged my hands up. Creating a electric ball that's the size of a basketball, I threw it at the duo of Chitauri that stood next to each other. It hit them square on the shoulders as it coursed through their bodies, making them shudder and shake, before falling dead on the ground.

"Just like Budapest all over again!" Natasha yelled to Clint over her gunfire. After throwing a couple more balls of electricity, I looked over at them and raised a brow in question.

"You and I remember Budapest very differently," Clint responded, shooting arrow after arrow at the oncoming Chitauri.

"What happened in Budapest?" I asked, taking down more Chitauri.

"I'll tell you when you're older," Clint answered.

"What am I? A child?" I retorted. Neither answered as we continued firing.

Glancing behind me, I noticed another cluster of them, "We got company."

Whipping out my knives, I charged my hands which transferred the energy on to the blades. Running toward them, I slashed my way through. A couple dropped like flies upon contact. Ducking, I rolled to the side as they screeched at me. I body slammed one against a hood of a car before sinking my electrified blade into its skull. Yanking it out, I turned around and got punched in the gut.

I grunted in pain as it's metal-like fist met my skin. That's going to leave a bruise. Dodging its punches, it growled before it launched itself on to me. Landing with a thud, the blades slid out of my hands. I fought its hands as they tried to claw at my throat. Feeling the energy run through my veins, I noticed my body being shrouded with electricity which shocked the Chitauri. It howled in pain, but it still tried to tear at my throat. With a yell, I felt it power up more. The energy burned it as it started to smoke and their body began to shake erratically. A few seconds later, the body went limp. I shoved it to the side and tried to catch my breath.

The energy receded as I just laid on the ground. My head was pounding. I must have overdone it again.

Sitting up slowly, I felt something trickle from my nose. I couldn't think much on it as the car behind me made a crunching noise along with those familiar screeches. Rolling to the side, I got up and charged my hands. Turning, I flung them at the Chitauri. It hit one of them. The rest jumped off the top of the crushed vehicle, sprinting at me.

Getting my pistol, I aimed and fired at the ones who were coming a bit too close while charging my unarmed hand. Lifting my hand, the electricity splayed out and electrocuted the upcoming fiends. Just like the one from before, their bodies shook and twitched before crumpling on the concrete. Huffing, I wiped my nose to get rid of the blood.

Just as they died, more came. I let out an annoyed sigh. Can't they just give up?

Suddenly lightning struck the ground where the Chitauri were. They're blasted back in a massive shockwave. The Chitauri Soldiers convulsed as they dropped dead to the ground. Thor landed in front of me with a disgruntled expression.

"What's the story upstairs?" Steve asked as he came up behind me, handing me my knives that I dropped earlier. Holstering my pistol, I gave him a nod of thanks and took the blades from his gloved hand, sheathing them.

"The power surrounding the cube is impenetrable," Thor answered not so happily.

Great. I looked up at the sky where the portal was opened and watched as more of those things flew through.

"Thor's right. We gotta deal with these guys," Tony said over the ear piece.

"How do we do this?" Natasha asked, stopping beside me.

"As a team," Steve answered.

"I have unfinished business with Loki," Thor announced.

"So do I." "Yeah, get in line." Clint and I voiced simultaneously, making us look at each other.

"We could end him as a team?" I offered with a grin, combining all our ideas.

"Sounds good to me," Clint said with a smirk.

"I call first hit!" I threw in.

"Fine…" He begrudgingly agreed. "As long as I get to stick this arrow right in his-"

"Save it," Steve ordered, cutting Clint off and striding past us. "Loki's gonna keep this fight focused on us and that's what we need. Without him, these things could run wild. We got Stark up top, he's gonna need us…" A motor interrupted Steve's directions as we all watched Banner ride up in a small motorbike. He got off and walked toward us with caution.

"So, this all seems horrible," he finally uttered.

"I've seen worse," Natasha proclaimed.

"Sorry."

"No, we could use a little worse."

"Stark, we got him," Steve notified.

"Tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you," Tony stated.

What party?

Tony rounded a corner of a building with the behemoth trailing behind him..

They inched closer and closer to us.

"I...I don't see how that's a party..," Natasha gawked as well as the rest of us.

Tony swept down the street. The creature followed suit, barrelling down the street like a freight train with its intensity increasing by the second.

Banner turned and walked toward it.

If he is able to take down that thing, how are we supposed to take cover?

My mind was racing as a memory of those Hammer drones. The force field.

I looked at Banner and then back at the monster. If I time this right, I could have it up just as he destroys it. Stepping forward, I stood in front of the others.

"Dr. Banner," Steve called, seeing that he was still staring at the oncoming brute. "Now might be a really good time for you to get angry."

He looked back at us, "That's my secret, Cap. I'm always angry." And just like that, his skin tinted green and his muscles grew which made his clothes rip.

"Get behind me!" I yelled. I looked back and saw everyone just stare at me. "Now!" I screamed. Turning back, I thrusted my hands forward with a cry. Feeling the buzz run through my veins, it felt as if my whole body was pulsing as a burst of electrical energy shrouded us.

Just as it appeared, the Hulk brought its fist down and smashed the leviathan's head. It stopped in mid flight and flipped over as Tony fired a rocket, making it explode. The force of the explosion blew right over us as my electrical bubble kept us safe from harm. My head started to throb painfully and I felt that all too familiar trickle down my nose, but I had to keep going. I have to keep them safe.

Once it fell to the ground in pieces, I let my arms fall to my sides as I suddenly felt overcome with exhaustion. Breathing heavily, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I didn't have the energy to face them. Wiping my nose, I closed my eyes for a moment. Breathe in, breathe out.

"Megan," a female voice sounded. Opening my eyes, I saw Natasha in front of me with disguised worry swimming in her eyes. Then, her eyes narrowed on me as they became alarmed. She lifted her hand and swiped a finger under my nose.

Crap.

She opened her mouth to say, but I quickly cut her off.

"I'm okay." As I said this, her expression darkened. "We have other things to worry about now." With that, she gave me a look before walking back to Clint. I have a lot of explaining to do.

Please, give me strength until this is all over.

* * *

Many of them were on the sides of the buildings as their screeches were heard. Whipping out my knives, I kept my eye on them. Hulk gave a battle cry next to me that boomed across the street.

"Guys," Natasha warned. We all turned and face the portal that released more Chitauri and those behemoths.

"Call it, Cap," Tony spoke as he landed next to me.

"Until we can close that portal up there, we're gonna use containment," Steve ordered, still staring at the portal. "Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or your turn it to ash."

Clint and Tony turned toward each other.

"Wanna give me a lift?" Clint asked.

"Better clench up, Legolas," Tony replied before flying off with Clint. If this situation wasn't so serious right now, I would have laughed.

"Thor, you've gotta try and bottleneck that portal. Slow them down. You've got the lightning. Light the bastards up." Thor nodded before swinging his hammer and zooming off. "We stay here on the ground, keep the fighting here." We both nodded as Steve turned towards the Hulk. "And Hulk. Smash." Hulk had a mischievous grin on his face as he hopped up on to one of the buildings.

* * *

It felt as if the fighting was never going to end. As time went by, I felt my energy waning more and more. The headache constant, my breathing heavy. I couldn't tell if I was bleeding or just sweating, but I couldn't stop. They just kept coming.

Gripping the head of a Chitauri soldier that I kicked at the back of the knee, I sent wave after wave on to his head, making his brain fry. If they have a brain. Wasn't too sure, but it worked as it fell to the floor, lifeless.

Getting up, I threw some electric balls at the ones that approached me.

Seeing that it was clear for a moment, I ran over to a flipped over vehicle. Falling on to my knees, I tried to catch my breath. I don't know how much more I can take. I have to conserve my energy now.

"Megan!" Looking up, I saw two Captain Americas coming toward me. I closed my eyes and shook my head. Opening my eyes again, it was just one this time. I sigh in slight relief at that and let my head fall. He crouched beside me, checking me over for injuries. "Are you alright?" He asked, concerned as he continued examining. I nodded, breathing still ragged. I felt a hand gently under my chin and tilt my head up.

Brushing the stray strands of hair that escaped my ponytail, worry swam in his eyes. "You're bleeding," Steve notified, wiping the blood away from my nose.

"I'm fine," I wheezed out."I just… I just need a second." He nodded and kept an eye out for anymore Chitauri, his shield posed for cover or just to bash a few skulls in.

Clint's voice suddenly came through, "Captain, the bank on 42nd past Madison, they caught a lot of civilians there." Steve looked down at me, still worried.

"Go," I told him. "Protecting civilians is our top priority." He still looked conflicted. Getting up slowly, he followed suit with his hands out in case if I collapsed again. I whipped out my pistols. "I'll be fine. Now, go be a hero." Mustering a small smile, he reluctantly nodded before running off.

The familiar screeches sounded from behind me as I turned around and shot at them, taking down one of them. They aimed their energy rifles and fired. Lunging to the side, I ducked behind some rubble. I heard their shots hitting against the rubble. Once they stopped, I stood and opened fire at them.

I cursed under my breath as I only took out one of them. Once it's body hit the ground, another band of them joined them. And if wasn't terrible already, another horde of them appeared on the side that I was exposed. Glancing around, there wasn't anywhere I can take cover. I can't use my powers either. They inched closer with those rifles pointed right at me.

Backing up, I felt fear rise within me. I kept backing up until my calves hit the rail of the bridge. I almost lost my balance. Looking at them, I had no choice. I placed my pistols back in their holsters.

I will not die like this.

Using the energy I had, I felt it surge through me. My body was covered in crackling, blue electricity. My breathing became heavy as I let it build. As they closed around me, I thrusted my arms out with a scream. The energy expelled from my body in waves, blasting those around me away.

I heard a couple of sickening thuds as their lifeless bodies met with the pavement.

The smell in the air smelled of charred flesh. Feeling the bile rise in my throat, I couldn't hold it back. Wiping my mouth, I tried to ignore the stench. Easier said than done. Gagging, I staggered away from the bridge. My vision went in and out with each step I took.

Tripping over a large crack, I fell with a thud. I groaned in pain. As each second passed, I felt my energy leave me. With one last breath, I succumbed to the darkness.


	29. Chapter 29

*3rd POV*

"I can close it! Can anybody hear me? I can shut the portal down!" Natasha grunted out, Loki's scepter penetrating through the bright beam that kept open the portal in the sky.

"Do it!" Steve immediately voiced.

"No, wait!" Tony called.

"Stark, those things are still coming!"

"I got a nuke coming in, it's gonna blow in less than a minute. And I know just where to put it."

Looking toward the portal, Tony flew with the missile on his shoulders.

"Stark, you know that it's a one way trip." Steve warned.

Tony held it tightly in his hands and he started to fly upwards. He flew higher and higher over the city, gaining speed, and disappeared through the portal. All communication with Earth has ceased. The suit began to freeze. Tony looked in horror at what he was witnessing.

An armada full of Chitauri and Leviathans. The black sky was filled with at least one hundred ships in an obscure cluster. Most of them were in immobile state. Some move swimmingly about. He released the missile from his grasp. It careened off into the darkness as Tony fell back down toward the portal's opening. The missile reached the main ship. The main ship implodes upon impact, causing the entire army of ships to burst into a supernova, creating a spectacular heavenly display.

Suddenly, all of the Chitauri and Chitauri Leviathans collapsed on the streets of New York.

Everyone watched, waiting for the familiar red and gold suit to fly out of the portal. He never came out.

Thor and Cap saw the supernova coming towards them. Thor nodded to Steve.

"Close it," Steve said.

Without hesitating, Natasha extracted the scepter, the energy beam shutting off. The portal closed. Just as the portal closed, a small figure fell out. The Avengers sighed in relief.

"Son of a gun," Steve commented with a smile. Everyone's eyes were trained on Stark as he kept falling.

"He's not slowing down," Thor notified, swinging Mjolnir about to fly off to catch Tony before he pummeled to the ground. Just as Thor prepared to take flight, the Hulk snatched Tony out of the air, sliding down a side of a building to slow down the fall.

Hulk placed him on the ground. Thor and Steve ran over to his still body. Thor tore off Tony's face plate. It looked like he wasn't breathing. They stood around, unsure of what to do. A loud roar rang echoed through the destroyed city. The sound jolted Tony awake with a gasp. Steve and Thor sighed in relief.

"What the hell?" Was the first thing Tony said. "What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me."

"We won," Steve chuckled.

"Alright. Hey. Alright. Good job, guys. Let's just not come in tomorrow. Let's just take a day. Have you ever tried shawarma? There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is, but I wanna try it," Tony rambled as he laid on the ground.

Thor looked off toward Stark Tower. "We're not finished yet."

"Right. And then shawarma after."

Steve glanced around the area, worry present in his facial expression.

"Have any of you guys heard from Megan?" He questioned.

He received blank looks and negative responses from Natasha and Clint.

He cursed under his breath. "Megan, state your current position."

Steve waited a few moments before repeating.

Nothing.

"You guys go take care of Loki. I'm going to look for her," Steve ordered.

"You sure? You got a lot of ground to cover, Cap," Tony told the worried Captain. Thor helped Tony stand.

"I got this," he said.

Thor, Tony, and the Hulk nodded before heading toward the tower.

* * *

The sun started to set in the horizon. Steve searched for his fellow comrade for what seemed like hours.

"Captain, I've located Megan. Her location is on Park Avenue in front of Grand Central Station at 42nd Street," Fury's voice rang through the earpiece.

Steve's head whipped around, trying to figure out what street he was on. Turning his head, he saw the fallen street sign that indicated he was on 41st Street.

'Just hold on, Megan,' Steve thought to himself as he broke out into a sprint. As he raced through the rubble and overturned vehicles.

Skidding to a stop, he saw the familiar blue and black suit stuck out amongst the pale pavement.

"Megan," he whispered as he ran to her unconscious body. Kneeling beside her, he turned her body over and checked on her. Placing his hand on her neck, he sighed in relief as he felt a pulse. "I found Megan," Steve informed everyone on comms.

"Is she alright?" Natasha questioned as soon as she heard him.

Looking back down at her, her face was lightly scratched up and dried blood on her nose.

"She's unconscious."

"A med team has been dispatched at Stark Tower to take her back to the Helicarrier and look her over," Fury's voice sounded.

Gathering her limp body in his arms, he lifted her and started off toward that big ugly building in the middle of New York.

* * *

Upon arrival, Megan was guided and placed onto a gurney where S.H.I.E.L.D's med team wheeled her off toward a quinjet that waited on the runway of Stark Tower.

"Will she be alright?" Steve questioned after them as they hurried past. His question fell upon deaf ears as the quinjet took off back towards the Helicarrier. He sighed as he watched the aircraft zoom away.

"This is just like last time." Steve turned his head and saw Tony, still in his suit sans the helmet, standing right beside him.

"What are you talking about, Stark?"

Tony sighed. "Well, if you must know, her being unconscious has happened before. A bit back while you were still a Capsicle." Steve rolled his eyes at the nickname, but continued to listen. "A man named Vanko wreaked havoc on the streets of Queens. I assumed you read about it in my file?" Tony took his silence as confirmation. "Well, I extracted the footage from S.H.I.E.L.D's files. After I took off with Pepper when the drones started to detonate-"

"Wait, you left her on the ground as those robots started to self-destruct?" Steve asked Tony incredulously with anger laced in his tone as his brows furrowed.

Tony threw his hands up in surrender. "FYI, I still didn't know she was down there. Anyways, it was like during the battle today. She conjured up a shield with her… powers. When those drones detonated outside the Stark Expo, she did the same thing and then passed out. She must have pushed herself past to her limit due to not having used that much of her ability before."

"But, Megan didn't pass out after she protected us from that explosion," Steve reminded him.

"After using her shield, did she seem alright? Signs of fatigue? Nausea?" Tony listed as Steve thought hard back to that exact moment.

"Her nose bled," Natasha stated as she strode toward them. "Right after her force field went down, I noticed her heavily breathing and when I checked her over, there was blood dripping from her nose. She didn't experience any hits in the face before that happened."

Tony stayed quiet, his brain wracking ideas on why.

"It also happened before I went to the bank on 42nd. She took down some of those aliens and crumpled against a flipped over vehicle. It was the same thing that Romanoff described," Steve informed, Megan's exhausted form flashing through his mind. "She insisted she was fine and I thought nothing of it."

All three of them worried over the young Avenger as they found out what Megan tried to conceal.

Noticing Tony's silence, Natasha sighed, "I will inform Fury of this discovery so they can try and figure out the problem."

With that, she walked away from the two men as she notified Director Fury.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hi everyone! I am so so so so sorry for being MIA for such a long time! I have been working my butt off to finish university and I finally did!**

 **The only problem I have now is job hunting... Great...**

 **So, back to the story! How did you guys feel about this chapter? This is the first time I ever wrote in 3rd person. It was difficult, but I pulled through! *happy dances***

 **The real question is: What is happening to Megan? We've seen her like this a little bit throughout the story thus far!**

 **Review what you guys think is wrong with Megan!**

 **Also, I will try to post another chapter within the week because all of you lovely people deserve it for waiting so long for this update.**

 **In other news, has anyone seen Spiderman Homecoming? It was really good! I kept cracking up and Tom Holland makes a pretty good Spidey! He is just too adorable! What do you guys think of the new Spiderman?**

 **Anyways, I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter and until next time!**

 **\- YoullBeAvenged**


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